I Meet the Turtles Remake
by Angelxoxo8
Summary: A remake of I meet the turtles! I'm only doing the first season. The turtles meet Amy, who joins in on their mission to stop the Kraang from invading New York.
1. Rise of the Turtles Part 1

**Angel: Hi guys! I'm finally posting the first chapter of the remake! I'm only doing the first season, I won't bother with the other ones because I already have stories to do...I've changed a lot of things from the original, including Amy's clothes.**

I sigh as I look around my new bare room. There's light hardwood flooring that look a little worn out and they don't look that sturdy to me, either. I prove my theory by pressing my foot against the floorboard and it almost breaks off. The wallpaper doesn't look so hot either as it's peeling off, but I could tell that it used to be pink. Now it's moldy and gross. Not how I imagined moving in with my mother today...

My name is Amelia Elizabeth Smith, and I'm 15 years old. I had just moved in from Florida to New York this morning. Walking in a new city after my early morning flight was a little...different. New York is almost as I expected it: a walking environmental disaster. I picture what this room would look like when I'm done with it and all of my furniture would be in place, but right now, I just can't see it. Why couldn't I have just stayed in Florida? Just when I was starting to make friends back home, all of this unexpected...circumstances, I had no choice but to move in with my mother. But truth be told, I don't know anyone here. How was I supposed to adjust when I hadn't seen my own mother for years? Well, on the bright side, maybe this change will be good for me.

I actually had just started gaining a friend in Emily, but we mostly talked and we never had a chance to exchange numbers or anything like that. How convenient for me.

But hey, it's New York! I'm sure I can find a friend here, right?

...Right?

As I'm losing myself in my thoughts, there's a knock on my door, well, the old door that looks like it's breaking apart. I really had to get this room's priorities in order.

"Come in," I call out as I see a window, which was probably the only thing that was mostly intact. The door opens to reveal a woman in her 40s, with shoulder-length light brown hair, brown eyes, tanned skin, and a slim waist. She wears a white buttoned blouse with long sleeves and blue jeans, while wearing black flats for shoes. Her face is heart shaped, and she has a beauty mark on the left side of her face. She smiles at me.

"Hi..." She murmurs, as if not knowing what to say after all these years. I smile back at her.

"Hi Mom."

She hugs me and I return it, rolling my eyes playfully. Mom could sometimes be a little emotional and overprotective, but right now...she's all I got when it comes to family. Her name is Nadia, but I obviously can't call her that (I tried and I almost got smacked).

Mom lets go of me, placing her hands on my shoulders. "Sorry, I'm just...so happy to see my little girl after so long."

Mom is a scientist, more specifically a biologist, and she lives here for work. I'm not sure what exactly that company needs to study amoebas for, or where she works, because it's kept a secret. I'm never allowed to ask what their purpose is or what they do, I just know that she works at a building that's not so hard to miss. Dad used to work there and even though I had to move here because of him, I still want to get to know my mother. It feels like it's been ages since I've seen her.

...Dad. I still miss him. You see, before I moved to New York, he...disappeared. I came back from school one day and he was just...gone. He didn't leave me a note, a phone call, or anything explaining what happened to him or where he went. No trace of him and yet his car was still there. The police tried to help, but they found nothing and I eventually gave up after two months without any leads. And since I'm 15 and I couldn't live by myself, I either had to go into foster care or stay with my mother. I chose my mother, because there wasn't any way that my father would've survived what's explained as a kidnapping or...worse.

"Would you like to go out tonight for a tour?" Mom asks, bringing me out of my daze. It's been two months now, Amy. You need to move on. He's in a better place now, wherever he is...and as long as he's happy with how his life turned out, then I'm happy...

"Sure," I smile at her. "We'll go around midnight!"

Mom has an unsure look on her face, but she nods in agreement, since it was what I wanted. She looks around my 'room' in disgust.

"But first things first...this room needs to be fumigated."

I laugh at her uncomforting look, even though it's HER home. I'm surprised that she let it be in this state for so long without complaining.

"And maybe after we're done, we can watch Space Heroes?" I ask hopefully. Space Heroes is my favorite show EVER. I have all the episodes and I've gone all of the conventions, and I have all of the action figures! It's just...so cool! I discovered it when I was young, and I haven't stopped watching it since then.

"Mm, sure," Mom smiles. Yesssss...I just wish I had someone to watch with besides my mom...But I had just moved here, and since I don't actually go to school, there was a slim chance of that hope becoming reality...

 **No one's POV**

In the sewers, deep underground underneath all the police sirens and bustling about of the people, there is an intense air around a completely done room in Japanese décor, having a large tree in the center. There is a skylight grate nearby illuminating the center of the room. It includes green folding partitions, a ninja arsenal of weapons, 13 rugs, and a personal shrine as well. Two mutant turtles, believe it or not, are kneeling in front of each other. The first one, who is called Raphael or Raph, has dark green skin, green eyes, as well as a small, lightning shaped chip cut out of his plastron across his left shoulder. His shell shows distinct battle damage, and the tails of his red mask are tattered and worn. He wields two sai on his brown belt, and he also has bandages on his hands. He also wears kneepads and elbow pads and is shorter than the turtle in front of him. In terms of who's older, he is the second oldest and is the angry turtle.

The second turtle has brownish green skin, and his name is Donatello, or simply Donnie. His body shape is much thinner and taller, leaving his height at almost 6 ft. He has brown/red eyes, wearing a purple mask where his mask tails are longer, but not longer than the ones his brother has in front of him. His ninja gear consists of brown knee and elbow pads, light brown bandages wrapped around his ankles, wrists and white bandages wrapped around his fingers. His weapon is a 6 ft bo staff behind his back, or a stick, as it's commonly referred to, but it can turn into a blade. Donnie is the third oldest and is the smartest one.

Another pair of turtles are kneeling in front of each other not too far away near the grate. The third one, Michelangelo or Mikey, is a light green turtle and has freckles. His mask is orange, and the tails are the shortest ones. He is shorter than the other turtles, most significantly shorter than Donatello. He also seems to be a bit more pudgy. He has baby blue eyes and is the youngest of the turtles. He's also the wildest one. For his weapon, he has nunchucks, which can turn into a kusarigama chain. His gear is the same color as Donnie's.

And finally, the last turtle is emerald green, and he is referred to as Leonardo or Leo. His eyes have sapphire blue irises with black pupils. He wears a royal blue bandana mask where the tails length range between Donnie and Mikey's. His green skin is slightly darker than the others. His height ranges between Raph and Donnie's. His ninja gear includes brown knee pads and elbow pads, and beige rolled bandages wrapped around his wrists, ankles and fingers. His weapon of choice is a pair of katana, and they have red and gold on the handles, like Raph's sai and Mikey's nunchucks. He's the oldest of the turtles and as such, is the most mature.

They are the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and they were preparing for a spar. It's Mikey against Leo, with Raph against Donnie. An older brother against a younger brother.

Leo stands up, twirling his sword so that it's in front of him. Mikey holds his nunchucks in his hands. The oldest and the youngest stare at each other intently, wondering who would go first. Ultimately, Leo is the one who strikes first.

"Oh yeah!" Mikey exclaims, charging forward while spinning his nunchucks. "Michelangelo is on the move!"

Mikey could be a little immature sometimes and unfocused and Leo plans to use that to his advantage. He swings his sword and Mikey leaps over him, landing behind his brothers. Leo turns to look at Mikey showing off.

"You don't know what to do!"

Leo decides to go in for another attack, but Mikey ducks and leaps away. He then rolls away as Leo swings his sword again. "I'm here, I'm there."

The oldest glowers at Mikey's attitude, as sparring was something to be taken seriously. It wasn't meant for cockiness.

"I could be anywhere!" Mikey's eyes widen and he ducks once more, Leo smirking as he eyes Mikey. "How do you stop what you can't even see?" Leo holds his sword in the other direction and Mikey runs towards him. Leo eyes him and finds the right timing before he knees the handle into Mikey's stomach. Mikey rolls away, holding his stomach, sticking his tongue out as he lets out a pained breath and falls onto one of the rugs.

"Like that?" Leo asks, not even bothered by it. Mikey holds up one of his three fingers.

"Good one, Leo..." He murmurs in pain.

Donnie spins his bo staff, holding it in both of his hands. Raph doesn't look fazed as he lets his arms drop. He cracks his neck and gives his brother a serious look.

"Alright, Donnie. Put down the staff and no one gets hurt," He warns, as Donnie hasn't beaten Raph at training. Most of the time, Raph gets his staff and beats him.

"Ah, you said that last time, Raph, and then you hurt me," Donnie points out, putting his staff down.

"Yeah," Raph looks slightly surprised. "But less than I would have," He slightly shrugs.

"Yeah right," Donnie states in disbelief, attacking. Raph rolls away from the staff and jumps away, Donnie spinning his staff. He jabs forward and Raph narrowly misses it. He spins it again, yelling as he slams the stick down. Raph moves away from it. He ducks from another swing and Donnie continues his attack before moving forward and slamming it down. Nothing happens and he feels that something is wrong. He opens his eyes and his suspicions are confirmed when he sees that his staff is out of his hands. He gasps and as he looks up to realize that Raph has his weapon. He spins it before breaking it in half using his knee. He grins maliciously and Donnie looks nervous. "Should've dropped the staff?" He asks knowingly.

"Should've dropped the staff," Raph repeats smugly and he spins both parts before advancing towards Donnie, who runs away, but Raph hits him with his broken staff on his shell.

"Okay, okay, ow!" He protests. "I'm down!"

Leo watches them until Raph turns around, as they're the only two left standing. Donnie sits next to Mikey, who sticks his tongue out at him for being beaten so easily. Donnie narrows his eyes slightly. Leo kneels onto the rug, still holding one of his swords. Raph does the same.

"Onegai shimasu," Leo says to his younger brother. This was going to be a prominent battle, as Raph, having a temper, would butt heads with Leo sometimes.

"Whatever you say," Raph dismisses the Japanese and Leo points his sword at Raph. Raph spins his sais and when Leo charges first, they block weapons. They glare at each other and Raph goes in for the attack, but Leo swings his sword. Raph and Leo stare at each other, Raph spinning his sais again before yelling and charging forward. Leo swings downwards, but Raph ducks and hits Leo with his elbow. Leo sweep kicks him and holds his sword. Raph backflips onto his feet and Leo charges towards him again. He manages to throw one of Raph's sai away and it lands between Mikey and Donnie. Raph and Leo grip their respective weapons, Leo holding his sword near his head.

Raph charges with another yell, two swipes getting Leo's sword knocked out of his hands. Raph takes Leo's arm with his one sai and pulls it forward, Leo getting knocked down into the ground. He groans as he rubs his shoulder, Raph standing over him.

"Nice try," Raph brags with a smirk and a door opens.

"Ya me!"

They turn to a tall brown rat with a maroon robe, brown eyes, and a green staff. He is their sensei in the art of ninjutsu and also adopted father, Master Splinter. Leo walks over to his already kneeling brothers and sits down, bowing to his beloved master.

"You all did very well," He congratulates.

"But I did better," Raph grabs, Leo staring at him in disbelief. Was his brother really that arrogant?

"This is about self-improvement, Raphael," Splinter informs as he stands behind them. "It is not about winning and losing."

"I know, Sensei," Raph grins, "But I won and they lost," He places his hands behind his back. Splinter pressure points Raph on the neck and he yelps. "But what's really important is that we all did our best," He says quickly. "Good job, everyone!" He falls onto the floor, Splinter chuckling at his trick.

* * *

After their training, the turtles are in their kitchen, enjoying their 'delicious' meal of worm and algae. Leo eats his worm with no complaints while Raph eats like he's really hungry. Donnie sticks his tongue out in disgust while Splinter eats.

"There's a little more algae and worms left if anyone wants it~" Mikey sings as he stirs a pot. "Anybody? Anybody?"

"No thanks," Leo denies.

"I'm good," Raph looks at what he has now.

"All yours," Donnie states.

"Well, I guess no one left room for..." He hides something behind his back, "Cake!" He reveals a green and blue cake with a single candle on top. They all gasp.

"It is a cake!" Donnie exclaims as Raph tries some of it.

"Made of algae...and worms," He deadpans as a worm crawls out and then crawls back in. Every day, it was always the same...

"What's the frosting made out of?" Leo wonders, pointing to it.

"You don't wanna know," Mikey denies, pulling the cake back towards him. He then puts on a smile. "Happy Mutation Day!"

"Happy Mutation Day!" The others cheer, smiling. Their 'Mutation Day' was like a birthday, as it was the day they were turned into who they were today.

"Ah, yes," Splinter speaks up, "15 years ago today, our lives changed forever and we became the unlikeliest of families." He smiles fondly.

"Tell us the story, Master Splinter," Mikey places a hand on his cheek as he smiles in excitement.

"Michelangelo, I have already told it many times," Splinter tells him, and it's true. He's told them every year. Mikey brings his hands together, as he couldn't go a Mutation day without hearing it at least once.

"Please! Pleeeease!" Raph suddenly covers his mouth.

"Please, it's the only way to shut Mikey up," He tells Splinter, who looks on with a smile.

He heaves a defeated sigh. "Very well. Many years ago, when I was still human, I was leaving the pet store with four baby turtles." He still remembers that day back when he had moved to New York recently on his own.

"That was us?" Mikey speaks up.

"Yes. Don't interrupt!" Mikey becomes silent to let him continue. "I passed a strange man on the street. Something felt off about him. I decided to follow."

 _Splinter accidentally stepped on a rat's tail, making his presence know. The two strange men walked up to him._

 _"Go no further."_

 _"This place is a place where you are not allowed to be in this place. We have been seen in this place by you, so this is not a place that will be left by you."_

 _Two other me surrounded him and Splinter quickly attacked. He punched one of them holding a strange glowing green canister and it flew in the air. It broke into pieces, the four turtles falling into the liquid and becoming exposed to it. Splinter, also exposed to it, turned into who he was, the same thing happening to the turtles._

"That was the beginning of our life together," Splinter holds up the broken canister in his hands; he had kept it all this time. Notice the broken glass where it broke apart. "It was the mysterious substance in this canister that, in a way, gave birth to us all."

Mikey takes it and hugs it close. "Mom." Everyone stares at him before deciding to ignore it and get to the point.

"So, sensei, now that we're 15, I think we're finally ready to go up to the surface, don't you?" Leo asks, the others hopeful. They have never seen the city above the sewers, as Splinter would warn them time and time again that it was dangerous. The people wouldn't exactly be all open arms to four mutant ninja turtles. They could be kidnapped by the government for experimentation, or worse. So, to keep themselves safe, they couldn't go up top. But that doesn't stop their curiosity. They wanted to go up there so badly and see what it was like. And, now that they were 15, maybe Splinter would let them go? They believed they were old enough.

"Yes," He simply answers, the others cheering happily. They would finally get to see the open world!

"And no."

They all groan. Or maybe not. They should've expected that.

"Oh, man, come on."

"Lame."

"I hate when he does that."

"You have grown powerful," He starts off, "But you are still young. You lack the maturity to use your skills wisely," He stands up, placing his hands behind his back.

"So Sensei," isn't that just no?" Donnie wonders.

"Yes. And no," Splinter states, "Wisdom comes from experience, and experience comes from making mistakes." Donnie manages to find a loophole when he says that.

"Aha! So in order for us to gain the wisdom, we have to make the mistakes. So we can go!" Leo smiles at his reasoning.

"No," Splinter denies, shaking his head.

"And yes?" Donnie asks expectantly, hoping for reverse psychology.

"No!" The rat makes his point clear, Donnie groaning in defeat. Leo decides to try next.

"Sensei, we know you're trying to protect us, but we can't spend our whole lives hiding down here," He says, not wanting to think about that possibility. They could handle themselves for one night.

Splinter looks away, stroking his beard. He cared about his sons' safety, but he also cared about their wishes. He thinks about it and looks to see all of them kneeling, with puppy eyes. He lets out a sigh.

"You may go, tonight."

They all cheer happily and Mikey holds up his hand. "High-three!" His brothers slap his hand.

* * *

Leo is watching his favorite TV show of all time, Space Heroes. He loved everything about it, the characters, the action, and the story. He cringes as the ship is being attacked. A black-haired man looks up.

"Mr. Crankshaw, status report!" Captain Ryan, their leader, demands. A younger black-haired man turns to him. He was Ryan's right-hand man.

"Status? I'll give you the status! We're gonna blow up in two seconds!" He starts to panic before he's slapped by Captain Ryan. "Thank you, captain." This happens often, and it was one of Leo's favorite moments of the show.

"Gentlemen, I have a bold and daring plan," Captain Ryan declares, Leo repeating his words. "There's no time for hesitation. My orders must be carried out without question!"

"Aye sir!" The others agree on the TV. Ah, what he wouldn't give to be the leader. The pride of leading a team, the satisfaction of doing a job well done, and his brothers actually appreciating him for once. But what were the chances of that happening? After all, there wasn't a reason to have a leader around since they stayed in the sewers all the time.

"You know this show is stupid, right?" Raph speaks as he sits nearby, reading a From the Sewer Magazine.

"Space Heroes is a great show," Leo defends, "And Captain Ryan is a great hero. Someday, I am gonna be just like him," He gestures to himself, looking proudly.

"Well, you do like to hear yourself talk, so you're on your way," Raph states, Leo staying silent. He wished he had someone who could relate to him on this show, someone he could share his love for it. Being a turtle, he couldn't meet any fans out there. Someone who wouldn't judge him for it or make fun of him...and who also didn't mind his appearance, for that matter. But that was like a million to one for that happening. Leo turns to his younger brothers approaching from their rooms. It was finally time.

"It's go time!" Mikey cheers, him and Donnie celebrating.

They all prepare their weapons, in case something ever happened. Donnie spins his staff in the air before holding it in his hands. He spins it on his shell and grasps it in his hands, jabbing it. He spins it a third time before holding it behind his back.

Raph grasps his sais and spins them in his hands. He spins them again and then another time before placing them near his face with a smirk.

Leo takes his swords out of his sheaths and swings them swiftly. He does it again and holds one of them near his arm and the other in the air behind his back.

Mikey throws his nunchucks into his hands and spins them. He spins them three times before one of them turns into a chain with a scythe at the end. He spins the other end of his nunchuck before throwing it.

Now, they stand in front of their master, as he would be giving them a short speech on what to do out there.

"You are going up to a strange and hostile world." He paces in front of them. "You must maintain awareness at all times."

"Hai Sensei," They all say unison, turning to leave, but he interrupts them.

"Stay in the shadows."

"Hai Sensei," They agree, and turn to leave again.

"Don't talk to strangers," He warns.

"Hai Sensei," They repeat a little tiredly and stop in their tracks again.

"Everyone is a stranger," He tells them sternly, as if they didn't get it the first time.

"Hai Sensei," They repeat, wanting to go out already. They loved their father, but his overprotectiveness would have them there all night if they let him go that far. They run up to the entrance of turnstiles.

"Make sure you go before you leave. The restrooms up there are filthy!"

" _Sensei_!" They exclaim, as they wouldn't need to stop to pee. He sighs in defeat.

"Good luck, my sons," He wishes and they smile in excitement, exclaiming about how much fun they were gonna have. They jump over the turnstiles and head off. "Look both ways before crossing the street!" Splinter calls out and lets his hand fall. He had to trust his sons, and he wished for their safety. Yes, he was aware of how he was acting, but they were still young. They only just turned 15, after all...

* * *

In an alleyway, a rat passes by and Leo lifts the manhole cover, looking around. He moves it and they all step out into the open city, looking at all the architecture, graffiti, and trash. There's a hobo sleeping nearby with a newspaper as a blanket. He turns around and lets one rip. They look around in awe.

"It's so beautiful," Mikey comments as they look at all the buildings around them.

"The city is just full of possibility," Leo says in excitement. "There could be an adventure around this corner," Leo looks around the corner of a shop. "Or-Or this one," He looks at another one. "Or this one," He peeks at a third one. All it is was a dumpster and a cat, who meows before crawling away. "There's not, but there could be!"

Donnie walks past a store window and sees something, peeking inside curiously. "Look at all the computers!" He gasps as he looks further. "Is that the next generation cadmium processor with quantum encryption?" He asks excitedly. Raph approaches him from behind.

"I don't know, Donatello. Is it?" He asks sarcastically, as he could care less about them. Donnie goes back to peek, not noticing the sarcasm.

"It is!" He was just too excited to care.

"Guys, guys, check this out!" Mikey points to a neon sign of a fortune teller shop. The purple hand is on. "And made out of light." It changes to a blue eye, as that's what it's supposed to do. Mikey gasps, as it was still amazing to him the first time he saw it. "Now it's an eye made of light." He gasps as the hand reappears. "And the hand again! Now the eye's back! Now the hand!"

"Come on, genius," Raph pulls his mask tails away from it, as he wanted to see what more this place had to offer.

"The eye!" Mikey shouts as he's dragged away.

"So where to next?" Donnie asks as they're standing on the road. A light suddenly appears on them and they stop in their tracks as a motorcycle approaches them. The pizza boy comes to a stop and stares at them. They all stare frozen in place before Raph decides to have a little fun. He makes a scary face with a growl and the pizza boy drives away as fast as he can, but he drops a pizza box in the process. Raph laughs at his reaction.

"That was kinda fun!"

Leo looks around and knows that anyone could accidentally stumble upon them if they stayed on the streets during their tour. "We're too exposed out here," He looks up at the rooftops. It's dark, no one's barely up there...it was perfect!

"Come on," He runs up to find a fire escape and Mikey comes to a stop when he sees what the pizza boy dropped.

* * *

Mikey took the box to his brothers because he wanted to know what was in it! There's red and white checker pattern on the square box, with a logo of a man winking. It says 'Antonio's Pizza.' "Pizza," Mikey slowly pronounces, as they've never heard of it.

"Should we open it?" Donnie wonders.

"Careful!" Leo warns. "It could be dangerous." It could be a bomb or something else, but Raph opens it anyway. They look to see bread under sauce, cheese, and weird little red circles on it. It's cut up into 8 triangle pieces. There's this fresh aroma coming from it.

"I think it's...food," Donnie says as they stare at it.

"It's not like any food I ever saw," Raph comments, but they wouldn't know, since all they've ever eaten was...worms.

"I'll try it," Mikey would try anything, so therefore, he was gonna make sure it was safe. He stares at it, wondering where to take a bite. He goes at the pointy end and they watch him as he slowly takes a bite. His eyes widen as soon as he tastes it. His brain would literally explode if that was possible! He swallows the bite he took and decides he wanted more. "Mmm!" He swallows it whole and lets one rip from his mouth. He sees his brothers staring at him and realizes he wanted this 'pizza' all for himself!

"Uh...yuck," He lies, "You guys won't like it. I'll take the rest."

"No way!"

"Nuh uh!"

"Back off!"

The others grab slices and try it. "I never thought I'd taste anything better than worms and algae, but this is amazing!" Raph exclaims in glee. The sights, the fact that they can't be seen, and the food? What could be better than this?

"I LOVE IT UP HERE!" Mikey screams, the birds flying above them.

* * *

Mikey jumps off a rooftop, feeling the adrenaline pumping through his body. Rooftop jumping was now another enjoyment of the city. They leap across to another building, hollering and whooping in excitement. Leo jumps from edge to edge.

They slide to a stop as they look at the view, their mask tails flying. "Alright guys, it's getting late. We should probably head back home."

The others immediately groan at this, complaining. They wanted to see more...as they're turning to leave, Donnie sucks in a breath.

"Guys, look at that!" He points to a father and daughter. Donnie's more focused on the girl who can't be more than 16. She has shoulder-length ginger hair that appears to be tied up into a small ponytail and right-sided curved bangs. She also has a yellow headband. The girl wears an elbow-length black shirt with a yellow and white sport shirt with the number "5" over it, blue denim shorts, black leggings, brown bandages/bracelets around her wrists, white high socks with two blue stripes on them and black low-heeled boots. Though no one may not notice it, she has a patch on the right back pocket of her shorts. She's very slim also and has blue eyes with long eyelashes and freckles.

Her father, he's assuming, is bald yet has some orange hair and a beard. He has blue eyes and wears a brown jacket with a grey undershirt, along with tan pants and brown shoes.

Donnie's heart is pounding as he looks at her. She was so gorgeous and he finds himself drooling. "She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen..." He murmurs dreamily.

"Isn't she the only girl you've ever seen?" Raph points out and Donnie snaps out of his daydream as he looks at Raph.

"My point still stands," He huffs.

"Look! Another one!" Mikey points down as a mother and daughter are approaching the street the daughter and father are on. They couldn't really see the girl's face; all they could see was her outfit and hair. She looks to be the same age as them, and has waist-length light brown hair tied up into a high ponytail that goes down to her knees. She looks slim too, and wears a light blue long-sleeved denim jacket with a pink tutu skirt. Her shoes are pink boots that go up to her knees with a slight heel to them.

 **Amy's POV**

Mom and I are just walking as she's telling me about New York. I'm not really paying attention as I take in the sights around me. She says I've been here a few times, but it doesn't feel like that. I feel like it's all new to me, but...I like it. It was a new change, but I could find myself adjusting to New York and my new life...

"Oh, hello there!" Mom suddenly says and I look up to see a girl and her dad turning the corner in our direction. Mom was always friendly; something I seemed to lack when she gave birth to me. If anything, I got her looks.

"Hi," The girl waves at us with a smile. "Taking a walk too, huh?"

"Yes," My mother smiles. "This is my daughter, Amelia," She gestures to me. "She just moved here and I'm showing her around. I'm her mother, Nadia."

"Oh, well, welcome," The father smiles at me. "I'm Kirby O'Neil and this is my daughter April."

"Nice to meet you," April shakes hands with me and I can't find the right word to say. Not making a good first impression already...

Before I can speak, a van screeches to a halt near us.

"What?" Mom asks in shock, as she doesn't seem to know them. I know I've never seen them before. A man steps out of the passenger seat, wearing a white shirt and jeans. He looks to be older. The back doors suddenly open to reveal strange men who all look the same as they're wearing the same outfits: A black suit, blue shirt, and tie. There's really nothing that tells them apart, were they all related or something?

They start to approach us and April hugs her father's arm. I hide behind my mother as they look threatening.

"What is this?" Mr. O'Neil demands. They hold out their hands to us and April gasps. They look like they wanna kidnap us, are they gonna kidnap us?! I don't even know what brought this on, I'm pretty sure we don't know them. I definitely would've remembered seeing people like them before. I don't think there's anything we can do...

They grab us, taking Kirby and my mother by the collar.

"Help! Help!" April and I call out and there's no response. Are we the only people here? Does that mean no one was going to save us...? They throw Mr. O'Neil and my mother into their weird glowing purple van.

"Hey!"

I turn to the new voice and see a...turtle...? Am I really seeing this or am I in a dream? If I am in a dream, then why would this feel so real...? He punches the man in the stomach. He has a red mask over his green eyes and looks to be tough. Were they...helping us? Where did they even come from? I've never seen anything like this...

Another turtle is flipping away from one of the men.

"Still standing, huh? I'll fix that," The red turtle takes out two forks, is that what they are? I struggle to break free from my holds as I hear a bump. I don't look up as I assumed someone bumped into him.

"Watch it!"

"You watch it!"

They must be in the same group since they're familiar with each other. The man punches the ground, leaving a hole without a scratch on him. Whoa...just who are these guys...? He seems much stronger than red turtle... Red turtle backflips and another turtle, with a purple mask and is really tall, bumps into him.

"Watch it, Donnie!" He warns. 'Donnie' fights one of the kidnappers with a stick...lame much? But he seems to be efficient in his weapon.

And then another turtle appears, with a short orange mask and nunchucks, I think they're called. They accidentally get stuck in red turtle's forks. He rolls away and continues the fight. There's a fourth turtle (how many of them are there?!), but I can't see him clearly from where I am. The turtles don't seem to be experienced with fighting actual people, because they weren't doing too well. They keep bumping into each other and their weapons, which makes them unbalanced, if that makes sense. Do they not know how to fight together?

Red turtle takes his fork into his opponent's arm and twists it, pulling on the arm. Nothing happens, though. I guess he was supposed to flip onto the ground. "Oh come on," he mutters before being punched in the face. The man lifts me over his shoulder and the same thing happens to April.

"Hey, cut it out! Stop! Ow!"

"Let go of me! Put me down!" I demand, wiggling around. The purple turtle sees April's dilemma and throws his staff at the man, who lets go of April. Donnie, I think, catches April in his arms.

"Gotcha!" She looks up at him and he smiles at her. She screams and he screams at her reaction, dropping her. Real nice...

"No, no, no. No," Donnie protests, "Don't worry, we're the good guys."

She still screams and he steps towards her, trying to calm her down. "It's okay."

I see that I'm headed for the van and struggle in the man's grip. You know, for a slim-looking dude, he's pretty strong!

"I said let me go!" I scream and I'm suddenly out of his hold and into a pair of warm arms. I rest my head on his plastron in instinct and I feel my savior moving. He stops after a few seconds and places me down on the street. Oh thank goodness...

"Are you okay?" A kind voice asks me and I hear him behind me, so I turn around.

And time stops.

I look up at my rescuer to see the fourth and final turtle. His eyes are a royal blue, covered by a blue mask, but he's looking away from me. It turns out he put me behind the van. His muscles are amazing and he's something out of science fiction, like Space Heroes...A crimson blush hits my face as I can imagine how he got his muscles. I'm so shocked by him I can't even answer his question. He...saved my life...I'm definitely certain that I'm dreaming, because he's so beautiful, there is no way he can be real!

He's about to move, but I grab one of his green three-fingered hands between both of my own. His skin is cool and hardened, rough also.

"Thank...you..." I finally speak up and he whips around slowly to see me. His eyes widen as he looks at me, like he's never seen me before. Or maybe because he's never been thanked before...my heart is pounding, I can feel it.

I keep holding onto his hand as I can't take my eyes off him. He doesn't say anything, he just watches me and doesn't move, as if he was taking in the sight. Either that, or he was trying to figure out what he just heard.

There's this...warm feeling in the air, I can feel it...

 **Leo's POV**

This girl...she's so...mesmerizing. I've never seen anyone like her before. Not only did she not scream at me...she thanked me. No one's ever thanked me like this. I swear, it felt like something of a dream when I looked at her. Those two words I never thought I'd hear repeat in my head.

 _Thank...you...thank you..._

Her voice is so angelic, I wish I can hear it again to remember it. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I could touch her warm hand. There was no hesitation in her movement...she really meant it.

She's petite, but also cute. Her top is a white t-shirt that I couldn't see before, with a green A in cursive on it. Was that her initial? Her eyes are like emeralds, like Raph's eyes, but they were way prettier to look at...her face was so adorable as she looked at me like she wanted me to stay with her right there...

Nothing else mattered in this moment...just her...

Two of those strange men come near her and I immediately kick them away from her. I don't know why, but I just had this instinct to protect this girl...I wanted her safe. I turn back to her and she says nothing as she looks at me in awe. I chuckle to myself since she's probably never seen anything like me. I bend down to her and look at her in the eye.

"I'm not going to hurt you," I tell her gently and she nods in understanding, staying silent. "Stay here where it's safe, okay?"

"Okay..." She nods slowly in that voice again and I swear my heart skipped a beat. I don't wanna leave her, but I have to help my brothers...I give her a look of longing because I definitely didn't want to leave her alone. But I have no choice, they needed my help with these guys.

I jump back into action and Mikey, my youngest brother, twirls his nunchucks and accidentally hit him in the face. Donnie turns to him with a glare.

"Oops, sorry about that! Watch out!" They both are kicked into the garbage. I hear a scream and turn around. My heart stops as I see that the girl I saved is in the van with the other red-haired one and both families are taken away in the van.

 _No...I failed..._

"They're getting away, they got the girl!" Donnie exclaims and we all turn to look at him, as there's more than one. "I-I mean, girls. I meant girls," He chuckles nervously. Uh huh. Donnie grabs his staff and I run next to Raph. It wasn't over yet. No matter what, I would save her!

"You just jabbed me with your sword!" Raph argues.

"Well, I didn't know you were gonna land where I was stabbing!" I retort back. We didn't do so well out there. It was so different actually fighting out on the surface, that we didn't know what we were doing...we were unfocused, and it all just happened so fast.

That girl...I want to see her again...and make sure she's safe. There's something about her...

"So, um," I cough, getting Raph and Donnie's attention. "That girl was really cute, huh?"

"Which one?" Raph asks expectantly.

"The one with the brown hair," I murmur in thought. I didn't even know I could think about a brown-haired girl like this.

Raph and Donnie come to a stop, staring at me like I was crazy. Then they both start laughing. I blush in embarrassment as all my thoughts were on her all of a sudden... I can't get her out of my head.

"That chick?" Raph asks, wiping away a tear. "Good luck with that one!"

"You didn't see her, she...she wasn't scared of me," I try to explain, "She's...different. She...actually thanked me."

"Wow, she said thank you," Donnie deadpans, "What two words to say to get you all rattled."

"I'm not, I...I!" I sigh in defeat. "Forget it!" I tell them, as I knew they wouldn't understand...

We've gone into walking now as we've lost the van. Mikey runs up to us, looking frightened and confused. "Guys! Guys! You're never gonna believe this!" He exclaims, but knowing him, it probably wasn't anything new. He points to his left. "That dude, he-he...had a brain!"

Really? "We all have brains, Mikey," I point out to him.

"Not all of us," Donnie points out, holding up a finger.

"In our chests?!" Mikey shouts, gesturing to himself. I close my eyes and shake my head.

"No, Mikey, not in our chests," I explain to him.

"YOU'RE NOT LLSTENING TO ME!" Mikey shouts and I decided that he needed to stop, so I slap him across the face. He gets defensive as his eyes widen. Not the best method, I'd admit, but it got him to stop. "Did you just slap me?"

"I was calming you down," I state calmly.

"WHY WOULD THAT CALM ME DOWN?!" He screams and we all stare at him. Mikey could get carried away sometimes.

"I think he's delusional," Donnie explains and Mikey waves us over.

"Just-Just come here! I'm telling you, the big guy was a robot," I stare at the others. Raph shrugs and decides to follow. "And he had a freaky weird alien brain thing in his chest." We follow him to another alley so he could stop. "You gotta believe me!"

"I'm sure we do," Raph replies skeptically.

"Oh yeah?" He leads us to a park. "Well, you'll change your tune when you see that he's-" We look down the alley to see nothing. "Gone?" We all walk away from him.

I should've known it was too good to be true. Mikey was probably just imagining it.

* * *

"And so your inability to work together allowed them all to get away," Splinter scolds us in the dojo when we've arrived home. And he was right...we didn't work together at all...and worse, we didn't save the girls...including the one who actually thanked me...

"Well maybe if I didn't have to waste time arguing with hero boy, I could've saved them," Raph speaks up. There is no way that I was entirely at fault, he was totally bumping into me!

"Hey, if you hadn't gotten in my way, I could've done it!" I argue, jerking a thumb at myself. I look at Donnie, since he's the one who started the whole thing by going after them. "And you went flying off on your own. How smart was that?"

"Well, it would've worked out great if somebody hadn't hit me in the head with their NUNCHUCKS!" Donnie glares at Mikey.

"Well...none of this would've happened if..." Mikey turns to blame someone, but there's no one else. "Somebody hadn't trusted us to go up there in the first place!" Mikey gestures to Splinter, who stops moving. We all stare at him as he registers what Mikey said. "Oh, geez. Sensei, I didn't mean to-"

"No, Michelangelo," Splinter explains, "You are right."

"I am?" Mikey asks, because Splinter has definitely never said that before.

"He is?" The rest of us ask as we turn to him. He just admitted that MIKEY was right!

"You were not fully prepared for what was up there. I trained you to fight as individuals, not as a team," We all look down as that was definitely true. "And as your teacher, your father, the responsibility for that is mine. Perhaps in another year we can try again."

"Wha-another YEAR?" Donnie speaks up in shock. Normally, I don't disagree with Sensei, but Donnie had a point. "Ha! Has everybody forgotten that people were kidnapped? They don't have a year! Sensei, we have to do something now!"

Splinter stares at him, wondering whether or not Donnie was right. Personally...I do think he's right. We don't know what could happen to them if they're left alone for a year. Anything could happen...anything...

"You weren't there, Sensei. You didn't see the way that girl, the red-haired one, looked into my eyes. She was scared. And she was counting on me, us," Donnie corrects when we gave him a look. "To save her, I mean them!"

Splinter looks up in thought and I look at the hand that girl touched. It was like...she wanted me to stay with her. Her hands...felt so soft that I can't believe I touched them...and she was...grateful to me. She's the first person I've ever met that didn't scream at me. She accepted me for who I am, I could see no fear in her eyes. I want to see her again. I want to know her, to talk to her. She's...someone I don't want to forget, couldn't forget. Especially not for a year.

Splinter turns around to look at his mantle, the one that showed his past life as a human...

"Yes, you must save them," He turns around to us.

"I agree, Sensei," I try to hide my enthusiasm as I speak, "But in that fight, we weren't exactly a well-oiled machine."

"Like that robot with the brain thingy," Mikey states.

"Give it a rest," Raph tells him.

"Hm," Splinter strokes his beard in thought. "If you are to fight more efficiently as a unit, you are going to need a leader."

This is it, this is my chance! "Can I be the leader?!" I raise my hand.

"Why should you be the leader?" Raph asks. "I kicked your butt, I should be the leader."

"Hey, I'm smarter than all you guys put together, it should be me," Donnie argues, crossing his arms.

"No way! It should be me!" Mikey exclaims and we all stare at him for an explanation. "I don't really have a reason. I just think it would be neat." Well, at least he was okay with not being the leader...I'm the oldest, the most experienced when it comes to the art of ninjutsu. This is my chance to show what I can do as a leader and as a ninja. I can be like Captain Ryan, my dream could come true!

"This is a difficult decision," Splinter opens the door to his room. "I will meditate on it." He closes the door and not even a minute later, he opens it. "It's Leonardo," He closes it again without anything else to say. Yes!

"No hard feelings, Raph?" I ask, because Raph was really confident in his skills.

He growls as he stands up and leaves. "Stick it in your shell."

* * *

Later that night, we're on one of the rooftops near a billboard, watching the building that's across from us. "Explain to me one more time what we're doing here," Mikey whispers and the rest of us groan at his ability to not pay attention to almost anything.

"Mikey, we've been over this," I inform, pointing down, "That building has the same logo as the van that was used to kidnap the families. So if we wait here long enough, one of the kidnappers will eventually show his face. And when he does," I punch my fists together, "We'll make him tell us where they took them." I smile at the plan that I came up with. It was a pretty good one, if I say so myself.

"And then we got ourselves a van!" Mikey cheers and I facepalm.

"Just hit the guy I tell you to," I explain.

"Will do!" He gives me a thumbs up and I shake my head.

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Raph asks skeptically.

"Trust me, they'll be here any second," I smile widely.

* * *

It's been hours and nothing. I'm standing at the edge, keeping a close eye. I couldn't move, because if I do, something could happen and we could miss them. Time was of the essence here. The others are sitting around and I hear something hit Donnie, the culprit probably being Mikey. They sleep, jump rope, and play games while I stand there the entire time.

"Okay, I'm thinking of something green," Mikey says to Donnie. "Ga-reen. Ga-reen," he elaborates as if Donnie didn't know what the color was.

"Is it Raphael again?" Donnie asks tiredly.

"Man, you're good at this!" Mikey complains, as they've been playing that game for a while now.

There's still nothing, not even a single person. "Give it up already," Raph insists to me, "The guy's not gonna show."

"We have to be patient," I reply, as things like this take time.

"No, you have to come up with a better plan, cause the four of us standing here with our thumbs up our noses-"

Mikey stares at his thumbs. "I don't think they'd fit," He comments.

"Is pointless."

I raise a brow and smirk. "You sure about that, Raph?"

"He just showed up, didn't he?" Raph asks knowingly. The same van parks in the alley right next to the building. "I should've complained two hours ago!"

I see a man step out and I prepare to get them ready. "Gentlemen, I have a bold and daring plan," I say in my best Captain Ryan voice. "There's no time for hesitation. My orders must be carried out without question." I do it like he does, but my brothers don't seem to care as they're already gone. "Guys? Guys, wait up!"

I leap off the building and grab onto a ladder, sliding down it. We approach the man slowly.

"Alright, buddy," Raph starts off, "We can do this the easy way, or my vote, the hard way," We take out our weapons.

"Yeah, look at it logically," Donnie tells him, "There are four of us and one of you. What are you gonna do?" He chuckles and the man pulls out a weapon! He shoots lasers at us and we jump in the air, landing on a fire escape.

"You had to ask!" Raph yells at Donnie before we jump down, but it's too late as the van drives away.

"He's getting away again," Donnie turns to look at me.

"No he's not," I scowl as we jump up to the rooftops. We have to know where they are so we can rescue them. We jump across to follow the van, Raph landing on the roof. He hangs on as the driver throws him off and I catch him going right. The rest of us jump across and manage to track him down. I guess he must've seen us from his mirror, because he pulls out his laser gun and starts opening fire at us. Mikey and Donnie jump down while I continue running before jumping and throwing one of my shuriken, or throwing stars. I hit my target, one of his tires, and the van crashes into a pole before rolling to a stop on the streets. I land on a building nearby as I see that he can't move, which is good.

"Now we're getting somewhere," I smile slightly. We hide behind a building around the corner, in case anything happens. I give my brothers a signal using my left arm.

"I don't know what that means!" Raph whisper-yells in frustration.

"Go around back," I elaborate.

"Why didn't he just say so?" Mikey wonders and I silently roll my eyes. We slowly approach the van, which is laying down on its side. Some items had fallen out the back due to the crash. Raph opens the other door, only for something to fall out of it and to hit Mikey's foot. It's a container with blue glowing liquid, and it's one that we all know too well from a long time ago...

"Mom?" Mikey asks in shock.


	2. Rise of the Turtles Part 2

**Angel: No, I won't do a movie version of 2003. That is 157 episodes to do and 2012 is already enough. And I haven't watched the 2016 TMNT movie still. I don't even have time to watch it since I'm still in, you know, COLLEGE. I'm trying to _decrease_ the story vault I have, guys. Sophia X is already long enough to do. Oh, and before anyone gets any ideas to ask me, I'm not including any OCs. That would change the continuity and that would mean I'd have to change everything within the I meet the turtles series. Someone already asked to have an OC in here. Sorry, but continuity is something I'd rather not change.**

We all stare at the canister, which looks like the same one that was used to turn us into who we are. I have so many questions going through in my head. Why do the kidnappers have this? What does that mean for us? Are we connected in some way? If so, how? And what does this all have to do with the families that were kidnapped? "So...that's the-"

"Mutagen that turned us all into what we are now," Donnie finishes for me.

"Let's drink some!" Mikey exclaims to our disbelief.

"What?" Raph demands, "Why would you do that?" I second that, we don't know what could happen if mutagen touches us a second time. I'm perfectly fine the one I am.

"Cause if you mutate a mutant, you get a super mutant!" Mikey explains with a grin.

"Or a pile of goo on the sidewalk," Donnie replies.

"Either way it's an improvement," Raph smirks with his arms crossed and I decide to stop the conversation.

"Guys, this is huge. Whoever kidnapped those people are somehow connected to what happened to us 15 years ago," I explain seriously.

"How is that possible?" Donnie wonders.

"For alien robots, anything is possible," Mikey insists to our annoyance. He's never going to let this go, is he?

"Stop that, there are no such thing as alien robots!" Donnie denies.

"Oh, yeah?" Mikey shoots back, walking over to the man, who has gotten out of his vehicle. "Well if there's no such thing as alien robots, how do you explain this?" He grabs the man's face and starts to pull his jaw.

"My face!" He yells and we stare at him.

"Man, this mask is pulled on tight!" Mikey continues to pull, and I need to put a stop to this. He could do some damage to prove a fantasy.

"Mikey, stop!" I call out, holding up a hand. "It's not a mask." Mikey holds up the man by the head before dropping him.

"Okay. He's in the clear. But those other guys were totally alien robots!" Oh good grief...

"Enough!" Raph takes the canister from Donnie. "Time to get some answers." He grabs the driver and holds him up by the right arm. "Who are you, and what's goin' on?"

The man opens his eyes. "Name's Snake, and I got nothing to say to you hideous freaks." Raph pulls him closer, looking at him in the eye. I'm just going to let this play through because while my brother did have a temper, he was the best one at interrogating.

"Oh, well, that's 'cause you don't know us yet." He throws 'Snake' towards Donnie and Mikey, who grab him by the arms so he can't escape. "See," Raph approaches him with the mutagen canister. "We were just regular guys until we got hit with a little of this," Raph opens it up and the mutagen's filled up to the brim. Snake looks frightened for his life.

"Wha-What are you doing?" Snake stammers.

"Playing a little game I like to call Mutation Roulette," Raph answers for him. "Now you could turn out handsome like me, or you might end up disgusting and deformed, like Mikey here," Raph looks at the youngest.

"Hey!" Mikey exclaims, offended.

"So, you feel lucky?" Raph grins maliciously as he tilts the canister towards Snake's face. The liquid slowly drips and Snake's eyes widen as it gets closer and closer.

"Okay, okay!" Snake exclaims in defeat. "They call themselves the Kraang. They been grabbing scientists from all over the city."

I walk up to my brother as he holds the still-full canister. "Well, that worked pretty good," I smile slightly.

"Of course it did," Raph comments, "Would you wanna look like Mikey?"

"I'm right here," Mikey pouts, a little hurt.

"What do they want with scientists?" I ask Snake.

"I don't know," He denies and we can sense that he's lying. Big mistake, Snake. Raph holds up the canister as a threat, waving it in his hand. "All I know is they're taking them out of the city tonight, but I don't know where!"

"This is awesome!" Donnie exclaims, which is odd, since people were kidnapped. Mikey looks at him in disbelief. "That girl's dad is a scientist, I'm a scientist! She is so gonna like me!" Donnie smiles at the thought. So if that red-haired girl's father is a scientist, that must mean the brown-haired girl's mother, I'm assuming, is a scientist.

"I don't think you're her type," Snake points out. "That other girl...she's sweet. But the truth is, she was asking for it wearing a skirt like that and she knows it." He starts laughing and I growl at his words. She would never want that, and I know that. She was happy that she was away from them. How could he just...insult her like this? She doesn't even know him and he's so quick to judge? Especially like she's someone who would WANT that? I don't know her, much less her name, but still. He's degrading her with his words and I hate it.

Suddenly, my fist is speaking for me as I raise it and punch him in the face, HARD. He lands on the street as I stand over him. I shake it as my brothers are looking at me in shock, their mouths wide open.

"You shut your filthy hole," I hiss at him as I feel my fist smoking from how angry I am, "She was doing no such thing! Don't talk such bull, you sad excuse of a man. You're pathetic if you think you have to insult someone you hardly know! You coward."

Donnie's eye twitches as he's never seen anything like this. Mikey just stares while Raph approaches me calmly.

"Leo...dude, calm down. You're scaring us," Raph gestures to Mikey and Donnie. I don't say anything as I grit my teeth at Snake.

"Leo...think about what you're doing," Donnie tells me calmly. "You just _punched_ him. We need him to tell us where they are. You can get mad at him later."

"Yeah, dude," Mikey approaches me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "We all know she's not like that. You know she's not like that. Chill, big bro...chill."

I take a deep breath as I listen to their words and look at my burning knuckle. They're right...I can't believe I just did that...I was just so mad that he was talking about her in such a vulgar way that my actions spoke for me...

I approach Snake, who's rubbing his cheek. "Where are they now? And don't make me ask you again," I threaten, clenching my fist.

* * *

We're standing on top of a building not too far away as I'm contemplating my actions. That whole thing was just...crazy. But deep down, I wanted to defend that girl. She, and the other family too, were just innocent people kidnapped for no apparent reason. She didn't deserve to be referred to like that and I just...snapped. I couldn't let him insult her anymore...Mikey is watching Snake as I'm looking through the periscope. Mikey prepares his nunchucks as a precaution, Snake facepalming himself. I can see what looks to be a helicopter, which the 'Kraang' are planning on using on the families to get them out of here, I bet. I look down to see them guarding the area, of course.

"There's gotta be like, 20 of them down there," I look around as they've got the place surrounded.

"Yeah, and that's just the ones we can see," Donnie states, and he's right, there could be lots more in there than what we're seeing.

"Alright," Raph pulls out his sais, spinning them. "An all-you-can-beat buffet!"

"We can't just rush in there," I warn him, because someone could get hurt. "We need a plan."

"Why?" Raph asks in incredibility.

"Think, you shell-brain. There are innocent lives at stake," Donnie points it out to him. "If we screw this up, they're all goners."

"Then we won't screw it up," Raph retorts in a duh tone.

"Boy, I could sure go for some of that pizza right now, huh?" Mikey asks and we turn to him. This was a serious mission, and he wants pizza? "What? I can't be the only one that's hungry!"

Something feels missing because if he's standing right there, who was keeping an eye on... "Where's Snake?" I ask him. He gasps as his eyes widen and we look to see Snake escaping.

"Oh geez," Mikey murmurs as he realizes what he's done. Snake laughs as he jumps off a building.

"Get him!" I declare and we chase after our hostage down a fire escape. He jumps onto the streets and we follow, looking around for him. We split up into two, Mikey with Donnie and me with Raph. We go into two opposite directions as we try to locate him. Raph and I end up at a park with swings, but we don't see him. I glance at an alley and turn to Raph, tilting my head at the dumpster. I had a feeling Snake was there, so we decide to bait him. Raph nods in understanding and I grin.

"Oh great!" I say out loud to make sure Snake can hear us. "We let him get away."

"Whoa, whoa," Raph pretends to stop me, "You're the leader. That means you let him get away." I don't think he's actually pretending.

"You're not helping," I whisper to him.

"I'm not trying to help," He says honestly and I get a little frustrated.

"Okay, okay," I look up at the sky before looking at him, "You want me to lead? Fine!" I speak louder, "We go back to the lair, gear up, and at midnight, we drive Snake's van right up to the gate. They'll think we're him and we'll cruise right in!"

"And then we bust some heads?" Raph asks with a grin.

"And then we bust some heads," I agree with a smile.

"I love a happy ending," Raph states and we walk away. We're not actually going be in the van, as that would be suicide. No, we're going in a different approach to make them think we're inside.

Hopefully Snake heard that and falls for it.

* * *

I'm making sure that there are no flaws on what I'm planning on doing in the dojo. Donnie was making some new gear to help us out in his lab, which is where he makes almost everything and anything he can think of. Raph is in the kitchen doing something, and Mikey was probably goofing off somewhere. And I'm right as Mikey runs past one of the entrances screaming as Raph is chasing him. I have an eraser in my hand as I look at a pencil, two chopsticks, a button, and a bolt. They're meant to resemble my plan.

"I think this plan is gonna work," I smile, as it's a fool-proof way to get inside the building.

"No plan ever survives contact with the enemy," Splinter walks up to me from behind. "It is how you react to the unexpected that will determine if you and your brothers succeed."

Succeeding is the only thing I'm going for in this plan. I'm the leader now, this plan cannot fail. It won't, it has to work. Though, I do have some doubt in my mind that just can't help but get into my head. What if something goes wrong and the families end up in more danger?

"Sensei, do you think I'm ready for this?" I ask him truthfully.

"Leonardo," He places a hand on my shoulder. "I made you leader for a reason." I also want to know why he made me leader. Did he see potential in me? Is it because I follow him and never disobey me? I need to know. Maybe I could use it to make myself better.

"What is that reason?"

He drops his hand. "That is for you to discover on your own." So this is something I have to find out for myself, huh?

"There's so much riding on this. What if something goes wrong?" I voice my concerns. I wouldn't want for that girl to get hurt, or worse.

"Failure is a possibility every leader must face, Leonardo," He explains knowingly. "It is something I had to face in Japan during my final battle with my enemy, the Shredder." I knew this story all too well, but I decide to listen anyway because it affects him so much. "Years ago, Oruko Saki, as Shredder was called then, had been my friend, but the love of a woman came between us. He could not accept it, and his jealousy turned outward in a vengeful attack. And while he could not defeat me that day, my world fell and crumbled around me as the battle took the life of my beloved Tang Shen, and I lost my baby daughter, Miwa."

"But that's my point, Sensei," I tell him as he's sagging against the tree. "You lost everything."

"I lost many things," He starts off, "My family, my home, my name," I think about what he had to go through before he became our father. It must've been so heartbreaking... "But I gained many things as well, like the four of you," He says gratefully.

"Don't worry," I assure him, "We can handle this."

Mikey screams as he runs past us, Raph still chasing him. "Get back here!" He screams as he rushes past us. Sensei and I look at each other before we each let out a sigh.

Or maybe not.

* * *

 **~Amy~**

I could hear banging from the room next door from April and I sigh. It feels like hours since we've been here. What are they planning on doing with us? Why did they kidnap us of all people? Are we important to them in some way?

I take a glance at my mother as she won't stop panicking about our current situation. "What is happening? Why are we here? Who were those...those turtles?!"

"Mom, give it a rest," I tell her in frustration. "They're not gonna simply tell us," I stand up from my seat on the floor.

"I can't help it, Amy! I'm freaking out!" I slap her across the face and she blinks. "Thank you."

"You're welcome...please don't ground me."

"Hey, you can't keep us all in here like this! We know our rights!" April is protesting in the room next door, but the kidnappers walk past her like we're not even here. If they would kidnap us, why wouldn't they respond? There's something about them that I don't like. They don't speak, they all wear the same suits and have the same faces, and they all have the same weapon. Plus, they went through a lot of trouble to find us, but it's not clear why. After all, I had only just moved here!

"I...don't think they care about that, April," I hear Mr. O'Neil chuckle bitterly.

"I told you," I state to my mother knowingly and she scoffs.

"But we can't just sit here, you guys," April calls out, as we can hear each other through the walls. "We've gotta do something."

"I agree," I turn to my mother.

"Like what?" Mr. O'Neil wonders.

"Yes, enlighten us on how we would get out of a metal cell," My mother says sarcastically and I stick out my tongue at her. She returns the favor as April and I have a plan.

I fall onto the ground, holding my leg. I hear a thump next door, meaning April has started her part. "Oh, my stomach!" April cries out.

"My leg!" I clench it for effect.

"Oh, the pain is unbearable!" April shouts.

"Please, someone help!" I yell, my mother giving me a thumbs up. The doors open to reveal one of the guards. He turns around to my mother and she gasps. I jump on the kidnapper and try to pull him towards the ground, but he turns out to be really, really heavy, which is impossible because he looks so thin. Is he made out of bricks?

I try biting him, but nothing, not even a yelp. He moves over to Mom as I try to do something, bang his head, kick his legs, punch him. He picks me up by my hair and places me down before the door closes and he leaves.

"Well, I guess we can just sit here," April says, my mother facepalming.

* * *

 **~No one~**

Snake is waiting with two other Kraang guards, as it's almost midnight. They're standing near some plants and Snake still has that punch mark on his face that Leo gave him. Snake readies his laser gun in his hands.

"They'll be here any minute."

"Kraang," The first guard turns to the second one. "Are those who are coming to this place coming to this place?"

Snake looks weirded out by their language and keeps staring at the road ahead of them with a focused face. "I lack that knowledge, Kraang," The second one states. Snake grits his teeth a little. "I will inquire Kraang about that knowledge." Snake starts to look irritated as the second Kraang looks up. "Kraang, do you have the knowledge if those coming to this place are near this place, Kraang?"

"They're TURTLES!" Snake shouts at them, having had enough of him. "Call them turtles! 'Are the turtles here?' "

One of them standing on the roof points forward. "There are lights of a vehicle which contain that which you wish us to call the turtles coming to this place which you wish us to call here," He explains to Snake's confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

He turns around to see his van coming towards them. As it gets closer, they open fire on the vehicle, but it does nothing to stop the car. Snake's eyes widen in realization as he realizes the van's not stopping and they run out of the way. The van crashes into the entrance, causing an explosion. Snake lands near some weeds and he looks up as a single, broken canister of mutagen is flying towards him. The contents land on his back and he holds his head as the effects take place. His fingers start to extend and he lets out a scream as something emerges from his back. His arms extend into tentacles and his mutation is finalized...

The Kraang stare at the burning van, as there doesn't seem to be anyone inside. In fact, there is a mechanism that was controlling the van the entire time.

"The ones coming to this place are not in the vehicle bringing them to this place."

"Then in what place are the ones called the turtles?"

 **~Leo~**

We're crawling up the walls of the building using the spikes that Donnie had created earlier. Mikey glances at the explosion.

"Wow," Mikey remarks, "Lucky thing that van showed up to distract them." Donnie groans and facepalms, forgetting he has his spikes on.

"Ow!"

"That was the plan, Mikey," I tell him. "We knew Snake was hiding in the alley, so Raph and I made him think we would be in the van."

"But we weren't in the van," He states, as if he's telling me this. I roll my eyes, shaking my head.

"Just keep climbing," I inform him.

"Can do," He replies, continuing to climb. We reach the top of the wall and crawl over. Now we just have to get inside.

* * *

We sneak inside using the vents, dropping the lid near two guards. They look up to see us, Raph and I getting rid of them immediately. I pull out my swords for precaution as we walk inside the strange building. It was weird, there's pink and black in strange designs that I don't recognize. It's more like something Donnie would do.

"Wow," Donnie murmurs in awe, "I've never seen anything like this. They're using a metal alloy that I don't even recognize!"

"Gosh!" Raph rolls his eyes sarcastically, "A metal alloy even you don't know about! It boggles the mind!"

"Dude, you wanna talk metallurgy with me?" Donnie eggs on, "Bring it."

"I don't, and-"

"Guys," I interrupt sharply, "What part of being in an enemy lair do you not understand?!" I walk in front of Mikey as we sneak around and then we stop as there's five guards blocking two pathways. But they don't look like the kidnappers we've seen, they have alien and or robot bodies...

"Whoa. Alien robots," Donnie murmurs in shock, which I can tell upsets Mikey.

"Oh, alien robots, huh? Hmm, where have I heard that before?" He better not ruin this for us. "Oh yeah! I've been saying it for hours!" He exclaims loudly enough for the alien robots to hear. They start firing at us with their laser guns and we immediately attack. We maneuver past them as Mikey swings his nunchucks and kicks one. Donnie swings his staff, throwing one away. Raph stabs their armor with his sai. He throws another to the ground and starts stabbing that one too. I deal with the remaining ones, slicing them into bits. We look down at the alien brain inside as its tentacles pop out and the brain screeches at us.

Raph, Donnie, and I scream, but Mikey whacks it on the head with his nunchuck. It falls unconscious and Mikey picks it up by the tentacles.

"See? See? It's a brain thing. I told you, I told you! But did any of you believe me?" Mikey rants off. "No! Cause you all think I'm just some kind of bonehead!"

The alien brain wakes up and bites him. "Ow!" Mikey tries to get it off, but he throws it onto a button, sounding off an alarm. This alerts all of the Kraang in the building and the alien brain escapes.

"Mikey!" We all exclaim, glaring at him.

"Okay, but I was still right about the brain thing. You gotta give me that!" Maybe we would someday if he actually proved himself. I look down the hallway to find it empty.

"Let's move," I declare.

"Move where?" Raph asks in disbelief. Donnie looks up at the ceiling, pointing up to the wires that connect to something, i just don't know what.

"I think those are power conduits," he tells us.

"Oh, that's really interesting. Thanks for sharing, Donnie," Raph retorts.

"Meathead, the conduits are all converging that way," Donnie points behind him. "Which means that whatever is going on in that direction is IMPORTANT!" He follows after them and I point at Donnie smugly with one of my katana.

"You got spanked," I hear Mikey tease Raph, chuckling. "Ow! Ow! Mercy!" I silently roll my eyes. "Not cool."

We run down the hall and Donnie peeks into a room. "We found them!"

Really? I suddenly come to a stop as I turn around in hope. I was silently wondering if the girl was okay. I peek inside the second cell to see her and she's staring right into my eyes. I wave sheepishly at her and she offers me a small smile. Donnie lifts down the control panel for the door, but more Kraang come by and start firing at us.

"We'll hold them off," I pull out my swords, glancing at the second cell. "You pick the lock."

 **~Amy~**

I peek outside the cell window as I try to see what the turtles are doing. The purple one turns to April and her father.

"Don't worry! I'll have you all out of there in a second," He assures us.

"Okay, giant lizard thing," April calls out skeptically.

"Turtle, actually," The purple one states to correct her. "I'm-I'm Donatello." Donatello...isn't that the name of an artist from the Renaissance?

"April," She smiles at him and I grin at my mother. Aww, they're so cute together. I can tell he has a crush on her, it's so obvious with the stuttering. Personally, I think they'd be a good couple.

"Wow, that's a pretty-"

Blue turtle bumps into Donatello on purpose, making the turtle crash his face onto the window in front of him. "The lock, Donnie!" He exclaims impatiently.

"Oh, right, yeah. Sorry," Donatello bends down to deal with the door. Blue turtle slides to a stop in front of me and he gives me a serious look.

"Just hang on and we'll get you out of there," He tells me softly and I nod slowly, not knowing what to say. He runs past our door and I hear Donatello taking apart the control panel.

 **~Regular~**

Mikey spins his nunchucks, sticking his tongue out in the air as he lands, swinging his nunchucks down and knocking down several Kraang. Donnie is about to connect two wires inside the control panel, but it's a little difficult.

"Not to rush you, but hurry up!" April urges him from inside.

"Hey! You think it's easy trying to pick a lock with these hands?" He waves his three fingers to prove his point.

"Sorry," April tells him.

"Just do your best, Donatello," Amy speaks up and he nods. Raph kicks a Kraang away and sees Donnie struggling with the lock.

"For the love of-get out of my way!" He pushes Donnie out of the way and stabs the wires with his sai in irritation. The doors open from the other side of the cells, revealing three Kraang at each one.

"What?" Mr. O'Neil murmurs and Amy backs away. The doors open from the front, Raph and Donnie looking to see them taking away the families.

"No!" April screams as the turtles are being shot at. Both girls let out a scream and the turtles chase after them, following the sounds. They end up on the roof, where the helicopter is.

"Get the door!" Leo calls out and Raph is about to close them until he sees a Kraang right in front of him. He tries to close them, but the lone Kraang is in his way as he tries to get through. Raph grabs his arm and slams it before kicking him back inside, making the robot lose an arm. Raph uses it to barricade the door, which they struggle to get through. Raph has a satisfied look on his face and he turns around to his brothers.

"That'll hold 'em."

His three brothers blink at him, not saying a word.

"What?" He asks, wondering if it was something he did.

"You...are seriously twisted," Leo states, to which Raph grins at.

"Thanks."

"No!" They look up to see the Kraang holding the girls and their respective parents.

"Let go of me!" Amy demands and Leo grows a little worried for her.

"Let's get 'em!" They run off to help, but two spiked vines stop in their path. They twitch and the turtles look to see a tall, entirely green mutant. He has multiple venomous vines with thorns, a praying mantis-like head, stands on two stem-like legs with large toes on his feet which seems to have exposed bone-like shapes, his hands and arms are replaced with tendrils that resemble Venus flytrap, and his exposed heart is partly wrapped. His eyes are yellow with red pupils.

"Uh oh," Mikey murmurs in fear as they look at him.

"You did this to me," The mutant growls at them angrily. "Now you're going to pay!"

"It's Snake!" Leo recognizes as they back away. "He mutated into a...giant weed!" Snake screeches at them, showing off his Venus plant hands.

"That's weird," Mikey comments in confusion. "You'd think he'd get mutated into a snake."

"Yeah, you would, if you were an idiot," Raph retorts to him.

"But his name is Snake," Mikey tells him.

"So?" Raph asks, not seeming to care.

"You don't understand science," Mikey remarks and Snake lifts his right leg, stepping forward. Raph and Mikey are glaring at each other as he looms over them.

"I'll crush you turtles!" Snake declares and Mikey's mouth drops open.

"Uh, would it help if we said it was an accident?" Donnie asks nervously. Snake thrusts his arms at them, his Venus plants snapping. "So, heh, I'll put you down for a no?" Snake thrusts his arms again, knocking down Mikey. Leo jumps up and cuts off the left arm, which oozes purple blood.

"Ew!" Mikey backs away as some spills in front of him. "Ewww! Don't let it touch me! Don't let it touch me" Despite that, some manages to get on his leg. "Ah! It touched me!"

The left arm that was cut off suddenly grows back into its original state, pleasing Snake and surprising the others.

"It grew back?" Donnie asks in disbelief. "No fair!" They hear an engine and look up to see the helicopter starting up. April looks back at them, wondering if they would save them.

"Donnie!" Leo turns to his brother. "Go!"

Donnie sheathes his bo staff and runs towards Leo, who cups his hands together. He jumps into Leo's hands, who throws him onto the building. Donnie lands safely and looks up as he sees the helicopter about to get away.

Snake thrusts his arms again and Mikey cuts them off, only to be hit. Leo slices one, but the other knocks him back. Snake laughs and Raph runs up to him, using his spikes to slide them against his legs. He looks at his spikes to see purple blood all over them and his hands.

"And yuck," Raph gets the blood off him, looking up to see Snake looming over him. Snake is about to hit him, but Raph senses it and grabs his arm, pulling it towards him. Raph kicks his head down and flips over his body, running towards something. Snake opens up one of his plant hands and a pink tongue emerges from it, flying towards Raph. The tongue grabs Raph by the waist, throwing him to Mikey and Leo, who catch him.

"Snakeweed is really powerful!" Mikey exclaims, his two brothers staring at him.

"Snakeweed?" Raph asks in confusion.

"Yeah! His name was Snake, and now he's a weed, so-"

"We get it!" Raph interrupts. Leo steps forward, swords ready.

"We just have to hold it off until Donnie gets back." The door behind them is suddenly bursts open, an army of Kraang coming through. "While not getting shot by alien robots," Leo finishes as Mikey and Raph look at him.

"With brains!" Mikey adds, Raph rolling his eyes.

"Let it go, man."

They're surrounded by Kraang and Snakeweed.

Donnie climbs onto the landing pad for the helicopter, looking up as April presses her hand against the window. Amy peeks at him as the helicopter is in the air. Donnie gasps and takes out his bo staff. He grips it in his hands and runs forward. He lets out a yell as he uses his staff like a javelin to propel himself onto the helicopter. He barely makes it as he's holding onto the end. The Kraang see him as he's struggling to hold on.

The others are dealing with the Kraang, with Raph taking on Snakeweed. He leaps up to get a hit, narrowly missing an arm, which he cuts off. Mikey and Leo kick the Kraang away, who accidentally fire at Snakeweed. He swings his arm, knocking all of them to the ground.

"What's the plan again, chief?" Raph calls out to Leo.

"I'm working on it," He answers before Snakeweed grabs his leg and hangs him upside down. Leo screams as he squirms around. He sees the same power conduits that were on the ceiling inside the building. "The power conduits!"

"Are we really gonna start talking about that again?" Raph asks in frustration as Leo sees what they're all connected to: A generator.

"Perfect," He murmurs to himself. "Raph! Mikey!" He places one of his swords in his mouth and does the signal for them to go around back. Mikey and Raph nod in understanding, rushing forward and attacking his legs. Leo cuts himself free.

Donnie hangs on as hard as he could. No matter what, he couldn't let go or fall off that ship, because he won't know where they are if that helicopter escapes. So this is his last chance to save them. One of the Kraang looks down at him.

"Oh good! For a second there, I thought this was gonna be too easy!" Donnie yells and the Kraang starts firing at him. He moves to underneath the helicopter, swinging his leg up. A shuriken that was lodged in his toes lands in the Kraang's head. He grabs the Kraang with his legs and swings, throwing the Kraang off. He fires up at Donnie, who maneuvers out of the way, but the lasers hit the helicopter, causing April to fall out. She grabs onto the floor of what she was sitting on.

"April!" Amy calls out.

"Hold on! I'm coming!" Donnie tells her, but as soon as Amy is about to grab April's hand, she slips and falls. Because Amy is sticking out too far, she falls too. Donnie immediately lets go and rolls onto the landing pad, catching April. Amy lands on his shell and she holds on as April holds Donnie's neck. He jumps down twice before sliding to a stop on the ground. Amy pants as she lets go of Donnie, standing up. "Are you okay?" Donnie looks at April and she catches her breath, looking up.

"Dad..." They look at the helicopter getting away...

 **~Amy~**

"Mom..." I murmur sadly as the helicopter leaves, with no way of getting back up there. She's...she's gone...she could be experimented by them...or worse. What if I never see her again...? I already lost one parent...I look around and hear fighting noises nearby. I wave them forward and we stumble upon the other turtles fighting off what looks to be a plant mutant. It looks like they're trying to guide him to that generator.

"What are they doing?" Donatello asks in disbelief. "They're leading him straight for that power generator!"

Blue turtle holds up two stars in his fingers.

"That's incredibly stupid!" Donatello exclaims, but then stops and thinks about it. "But brilliant. Or...both!"

I glance at April and we both shrug, as we have no idea what they're doing or what Donnie's talking about. Blue turtle throws the stars at the mutant's back, causing him to yelp. I can see three throwing stars pierced into his back.

"Hey, come and get me, Stinkweed!" Blue turtle taunts, making a face. I can't help but laugh at how ridiculous he looks. But it seems to work out for him as 'Stinkweed' falls for it. Blue turtle jumps onto his back and pats his shell, taunting the kidnappers now. Or should I say the alien robots? Anyway, whatever they are, they start opening fire at blue turtle, who jumps off the plant mutant. The lasers hit the generator, which then shocks the mutant and causing an explosion. Donatello, April, and I all stare as plant bits rain down around us. I stick out my tongue in disgust as I try to move it. It just feels so gross!

Blue turtle leads me away and we all escape from the damage.

* * *

We've taken April home to her apartment as she looks out at the sky. She's probably worried about her father...I take a glance at the night sky near April and wonder if my mother would really be okay with them all alone...

Donnie steps up to April. "Are you gonna be alright?"

"I guess," April sighs a little. "My aunt says I can stay here as long as I want, but I'll be a lot better when we track down the creeps that took my dad and your mother," She looks at me, determined. I smile at her.

"Won't the police help?" Blue turtle wonders and I scoff to myself.

"Funny thing," April chuckles at the thought, "When you tell them your dad and a mother were kidnapped by alien brains in robot bodies, they don't take you all that seriously."

"They'd probably lock us up," I murmur, crossing my arms.

"I hear that," Orange turtle agrees with April.

"April," Donatello speaks up. "And...girl we don't know the name of," He glances at me awkwardly. "I promise you we will not rest until we find them."

"We won't?" Red turtle speaks up, blue turtle elbowing him in the arm.

"No, we won't," He looks at me seriously and I glance at April.

"That's a nice offer, but...we don't want you to get caught up in this," I speak up. "You have your own lives and...we have ours."

"Thank you, but it's not your fight," April tells them, agreeing with me. Donatello places a hand on top of her knee.

"Yes, it is," He tells her seriously and she smiles up at him. Donnie blushes with wide eyes, moving away with a sheepish smile. Yup, he's got it bad.

And that's when I realize I haven't told them my name. Though, to be fair, getting kidnapped by alien robots didn't give me a chance to. And...they did save our lives.

"Amy," I suddenly say, making the turtles turn to me in confusion. "My name is Amelia, but..." I smile at them kindly. "You can call me Amy."

"That's a pretty name," Blue turtle smiles at me fondly and I chuckle sheepishly, rubbing my neck nervously. No one's really said that to me before...

"Thank you...so...what are your names?" Wow, great first impression, Amy.

Blue turtle chuckles at my nervousness. "Leonardo, but I prefer Leo."

"You already know me as Donatello," Donatello gestures to himself, "But Donnie, please."

"I'm Mikey," Orange turtle jerks a thumb at himself with a smile. Red turtle smacks his head. "Ow!"

"And that's Raphael, or Raph," Leo gives red turtle a look. Raph just crosses his arms like he's done stuff like this before with no problem.

"Your names...are you named after artists?" I ask curiously and they glance at each other before looking at me.

"Well, yes," Donnie nods to my question. "We are."

"That's cool," I smile at them and they smile back except for Raph, as if they've never heard of that before from a human.

"So, Amy," Mikey leans towards me and I dart my eyes away rapidly. Um, hello, personal space? "Do you have a place to stay?"

"We'll take you home," Leo offers with a grin.

I was about to say my mother's apartment, but technically, if I did go back there, I'd be by myself. I shake my head no. "No...not really. I'm technically by myself now," I glance at the city.

"Wait...so you don't have anyone to stay with?" Raph asks, and he looks like he's actually sympathetic. Maybe because technically, I'm all alone...

"No. No other family...just my mother," I shrug slowly and Mikey looks like he has an idea as he holds up a finger. "And I would stay here, but I don't wanna impose," I cringe at April, who nods in understanding.

"I completely get it, Amy," She places a hand on my arm. "I don't want to make you stay here if you don't want to."

"Dudes! I have the perfect solution!" Mikey exclaims, putting an arm around me. "She...can stay with us!"

"What?!" Everyone else, including me, shout in shock. Thank god no one could hear since it's late at night. Stay...with four other guys? That is...unexpected, to say the least. And I only just met these guys hours ago, how the heck did it turn into that?

"Think about it!" Mikey insists, gesturing to me. "What if those alien robots, which I was totally right about, by the way," His brothers look at him in annoyance. I guess they didn't believe them when he saw them for himself somehow. Probably before they came to rescue us. "Try to kidnap Amy again and we're not there?"

They all blink at him, as that was true...they kidnapped me right near where I live, they could search for me. Wouldn't that make me in more danger than I already was tonight?

The three turtles glance at each other. "Well...Mikey has a point..." Donnie slowly agrees as he thinks about it.

"Dude! A girl in our secret lair? What's Splinter gonna say?" Raph demands and I'm guessing that Splinter is their father.

"But it's too dangerous to leave her, alone," Leo gives him a look, "In her apartment."

"So is taking a human back to our home, where only dudes live!" Raph retorts and I raise an eyebrow at him. I'm starting to think that he doesn't want me there because they're teenagers and not because of their secrecy. Aw, so deep down, he does have a heart. But I wouldn't dare say that in front of him, not if I wanted a death wish.

"And yet Mikey's the one who came up with it, believe it or not," Donnie murmurs and I get the feeling that this doesn't happen with Mikey often.

"Look," I speak up, "I'm in a tight bind here. And wouldn't this...arrangement," I glance at Mikey, "Be only temporary until you rescue my mother and April's dad, anyway?"

Raph, Donnie, and Leo glance at each other at my argument and I can't tell if they're agreeing with me or not. They huddle together and start whispering. I can barely hear anything and I look at April, who just shrugs. To be honest, it was a little...unnerving. If they say no, where would I stay? How would I support myself? I can't get a job and get money, I have no experience! I'd probably have to eat scraps from a dumpster...I don't wanna be out on the streets. After a few minutes, they're done with their little meeting and turn back to me.

"So...Amy," Leo looks at me shyly as it's the first time he's said my name. I like hearing it from him. "We've decided...to let you stay. But only until we've rescued your parents so that you'll be safe with us."

"Thank you...and thank you, again, for saving our lives," I gesture to April.

"You don't need to thank us," Donnie smiles and Mikey grins.

"Welcome to the fam, dudette. We're gonna have so much fun!"

"Whatever," Raph scoffs, crossing his arms, but I can catch that grin on his face, the liar.

"Come on. We should probably get your things," Leo suggests and I nod. We jump onto the building in front of us and I turn around. Donnie waves to April and I see her wave back.

"So, April, huh?" I smirk and he yelps as he looks at me.

"Oh, uh," He chuckles nervously as a deer caught in the headlights. "Is it that obvious?"

"Just a little," I smile slightly, pinching my fingers together. "But don't worry. I can keep a secret," I wink at him and chase after the others. I could feel a smile on Donnie's face from behind me. Well...I wanted a new life in New York and I got one...not one I imagined, but still a new start anyway.

* * *

After I've gathered my things (it's not like I had much to begin with), they've guided me to a manhole cover. I look up at Leo.

"This is where you live?" I ask, pointing down to the open sewer grate. I can't say I'm not surprised.

"Is that a problem?" Raph raises a brow at me, crossing his arms.

"No!" I protest, looking down the tunnel. "I've just...never been in a sewer before."

"Chillax," Mikey waves it off, "The sewers are awesome."

"Just don't freak out about the smell," Donnie holds up a finger.

"Gee, thanks," I deadpan as I shift my bags nervously in my hands. I only had two of them, because I was kind of in a rush. I know it's only temporary, but I'm staying in their home for who knows how long. "Okay then..." I start to climb down, but Leo holds out a hand.

"Bags. Now," He tells me and I comply, because he was only trying to help me. I climb down the ladder slowly and jump away from the water so I don't land on it. My bags fall near me and I catch them in my hands as the turtles jump down, the cover being closed. Donnie takes the first one and I hold onto the second as I look around. The sewers...never thought I'd come down here. Donnie was right, the smell is awful...

We start to walk through a path, Donnie and Leo guiding me in front. Raph and Mikey are behind me, as if I'd try to get away. I have no reason to do that, though...

"So, this Master Splinter," I speak to make conversation. "He's your father?"

"And master. He taught us ninjutsu, what you saw earlier," Leo answers for me. Ninjutsu, huh? Cool...

"I'd love to learn," I say without thinking. Wait, what? Not that I don't want to, it's just I wouldn't even know what I'm doing. Leo turns to me, trying to read my expression. He smiles a little.

"Maybe you could."

"Who knows, you might actually beat Mikey," Raph murmurs behind me.

"Hey," Mikey pouts and I place a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Mikey, I'm sure you're good enough on your own."

He gasps as his eyes light up and I can't help but think I said something wrong. He smiles brightly at me. "Thanks, dudette!" I like him, he's friendly.

"Don't get him started," Raph sighs, shaking his head.

"He'll be fine," Leo waves it off. I look down at my boots to see them slightly covered in sewer water. Blegh.

"Gross," I state my disgust and Donnie laughs.

"It's where we live, Amy, you'll get used to it," He states, causing me to roll my eyes. Leo comes to a stop at a subway tunnel and I can see an entrance to the right in the distance. Leo turns around to face me and holds up a blindfold.

"Okay Amy," He states seriously. "We have to take precaution because our teacher, Master Splinter, is very...overprotective and stern about people knowing where we live. So put this on and remove it when I tell you, okay?"

I nod in understanding. "Okay..."

"Wait here," Donnie tells me and Leo gives me the blindfold. I hand him my bag and put on the blindfold.

"We'll come back for you," Mikey states and I hear footsteps walking away. This...is all very strange. I mean, I'm staying with four turtles I barely even know. Then again, I didn't have much of a choice. But Raph made a good point earlier. There's no other girls, it's just me. How would that even work? I'd be the only girl, which is probably something they never had in their lives. They didn't seem THAT bothered by it, but it's still a little weird. It's only temporary, though...I don't want to be in the streets, that would be wrong. Hopefully it'll be faster to save my mother because I don't want to impose...

"Nani?!" I hear a deep voice call out and I cringe. That must be Master Splinter... "You brought a teenage girl to our secret hidden lair?"

"Sensei," Leo tries to reason with him. "Please let her stay."

"Yeah, she has nowhere else to go," Mikey pleads.

"Without her mother...she's all alone," Raph states in a tone that's not like him.

"But here, she'd be safe with us. And maybe we can teach her to defend herself," I hear Donnie say.

"Might as well do something useful down here," Raph murmurs and I scrunch up my nose at that. That was a little rude...

"Hmm," I hear from Splinter and I wonder if he's really gonna let me stay up there alone. I'd like to believe that he has a good heart.

"Alright," He sighs in defeat, "But only until she is reunited with her mother."

Wait, I was right? Oh thank god. Now maybe Raph could be a little nicer.

"Yo, get out here!"

No? Okay.

I take slow steps forward since I can't see where I'm going until I feel a light on me. A hand suddenly holds mine and guides me up some stairs.

"Careful," I realize it's Leo helping me and we jump over something. "Okay...now."

I slowly undo the blindfold to see their home. Whoa...I see the living room and a pathway leading to another hall. There's games, TV, and skateboards lying around the room. I mentally cringe at the pool and move on as I see a path leading somewhere else, probably a kitchen. There's also these double doors leading to another room.

Someone clears their throat and I turn to see a rat. My eyes widen as I blink, taking in the sight of him. He's...very...tall. The rat's eyes widen at me, as if he recognizes me or that he's seen me before, but he gives me a reassuring smile. It was a quick moment, but I'm pretty sure that he knows me. I don't know how that's possible, since I would've remembered seeing a large mutant rat.

"You must be Amelia," He bows his head at me and I awkwardly bow back.

"You're...Splinter," I murmur as I remember the others saying his name. But for some reason, it was like I already knew his name. I can't put my finger on it.

"Yes," He chuckles in amusement. "You will be safe here, child."

"Thank you," I murmur meekly and he gestures to show me something. I glance at the turtles, who say nothing and follow him. Okay then. I catch up with them as they walk in a straight line and walk up some stairs. Splinter opens the doors and we walk inside to a dojo. Should've known they'd have one.

"This," Splinter gestures to the room. "Is where I will train you. My sons stated you wish to learn ninjutsu."

I look around the room, which somehow has a tree, as I think about how the turtles fight. They were kind of impressive...

"Okay," I nod and the rat smiles.

"Come, you must be tired after the previous events. Donatello, bring me a pillow. Leonardo, a glass of water. Michelangelo and Raphael, blankets," He orders them.

"Hai Sensei," They run off to get the items and Splinter walks off. I follow on instinct and he leads me down a hallway with five entrances. Four of them are separated into two side by side on both sides of the wall. The final one is all the way down the hall past the rooms. Splinter walks all the way over there and opens the door. I peek inside. It's a good-sized empty room with a lamp above us.

"This is your room," Splinter gestures to it with a smile. "I hope you enjoy your stay with us, Amelia. Sleep well, for your training begins tomorrow," He walks away and I wave after him.

"Goodnight."

I sigh as I step inside and place my bags down. So...this was it...I turn on the light and the turtles knock.

"Door's open," I call out and Donnie opens the door with a white pillow.

"Here you go," He hands it to me and Leo places a glass of water on the dresser next to me.

"Are you gonna be okay?" He asks gently and I nod.

"Yeah, I will be...thanks again," I smile a little and he smiles back. Mikey and Raph come in with a blanket, throwing it into my arms.

"Well..." Leo stands there with the others, not knowing what to do now. This is probably the first time they had a guest. "Goodnight, Amy."

"Night."

"Sweet dreams, dudette."

"Goodnight."

They close the door behind me and I look up at the ceiling with a sigh.

Living with four teenage mutant ninja turtles...who knew?


	3. Turtle Temper

We are standing on top of an apartment building as Donnie's got a periscope in his hand. The five of us are staking out the Kraang to see what they're up to. We don't really know why they need scientists for, or why they need my mother of all people. No offense to her, but I don't think amoebas help much with alien robots. I'm sitting near Leo and Donnie, who are at the edge keeping an eye out. Raph and Mikey are behind us.

"Anything?" Leo asks as he stands behind me. I'm sitting on the edge next to Donnie to help him out.

"Nothing yet," He reports and I wait patiently, even though it was taking a while. Mikey is playing with Raph as he pokes Raph's head, but he slaps it away. Mikey laughs as he does it again, getting the same result. Mikey reaches out his finger and Raph squeezes it, making Mikey yelp. I know this because I've learned that Mikey likes to annoy Raph in any way possible.

"Guys, when ninjas are on surveillance, they are supposed to be SILENT!" Leo scolds them and I giggle at him. He could be pretty funny sometimes even if he doesn't mean to do it.

"Sorry Leo. I'll scream quieter," Mikey tells him.

"Or you could, you know, not bother him?" I ask as I turn around slightly. My warnings are ignored as Mikey pokes him, to Raph's irritation. Mikey giggles and Raph grabs his finger, throwing him onto the roof. Raph bends down in front of him with a clenched fist before he puts Mikey into a hold.

"Say it," Raph tells him.

"Raph," They look at Leo. "Be quiet!"

"Not till Mikey says it," Raph looks down at Mikey with a grin. I groan silently and backflip, landing near Leo. His eyes widen as I dust my skirt.

"We're not gonna do this now, are we?" I whisper, glancing at the road behind me.

Mikey ignores me. "Raphael is all wise and powerful," He rolls his eyes at that and I sag my arms in disbelief.

Raph grabs his head with one hand, holding his neck with the other. "And?"

"And he's better than me in every possible way!" Raph lets go of Mikey, who takes a breath. Raph punches his head to the ground, trapping him so he can't move.

"And?" Raph asks knowingly.

"And I'm a lowly worm beneath his feet, who isn't fit to live on the same planet as him, because he's so amazing and I'm a dirt clod!"

Wooow, this is so stupid. Is Raph really making him say all this stuff when we're supposed to be doing more important things right now? When was this even invented?

Raph presses Mikey's chin into the roof and licks his finger, threatening to use it on Mikey. "And?"

"And in the history of the universe, there's never been-"

"Okay, enough," Leo finally puts a stop to it.

"It's about time," I mutter as Raph releases Mikey, who lets out a deep breath. Raph marches over to Leo and I.

"We're wasting our time," He voices his complaint, "The Kraang aren't gonna show up."

"Have a little patience, will you?" Leo asks as he and Donnie look at him. Patience and Raph don't really fit in the same sentence. If anything, he was the opposite of patient.

"Trust me, guys," Donnie places his hands on his hips proudly. "They're gonna break into that lab tonight. I have reliable intel."

"Intel?" Raph grins and I smile knowingly as I know what Donnie means. "You mean, April told you," He points at Donnie.

"You mean your girlfriend?" Mikey pops up from behind Donnie, who looks like a deer in headlights. Mikey places his hands underneath his chin teasingly as Donnie scowls.

"She's not my girlfriend, Mikey!" Donnie defends himself, the rest of us looking smug. By now, the others have caught on that he likes April. "She's a girl," Leo and Raph smirk at each other, "Who's a friend, whose dad, along with Amy's mother, got kidnapped by the same aliens who are gonna break into that lab. And we're gonna stop 'em. Why are you teasing me anyway, Leo's the one who-"

Leo covers Donnie's mouth to prevent him from speaking further, glancing at me nervously. "Erm, he doesn't know what he's talking about," Leo glares at Donnie, who looks smug. "Ignore him."

"Okay...?" I raise an eyebrow in confusion as this isn't the first time it's happened. Stuff like that has happened at least twice already, but I ignore it since I don't know what they're talking about. Maybe it's a guy thing that they don't want me to know about.

"Or we'll sit out on a cold roof all night for no reason," Raph states and I hear a door open. I freeze in place.

"What the heck's going on up here?" I turn to see an overweight man. He's wearing a white tank top, blue pants, sandals, and his head is partly covered in gray hair. His eyes are black and he looks to be like 40 or so. Either way, I don't like looking at him. His nose is too big and his appearance alone disgusts me. He just screams 'angry old dude.'

And then I realize that he can see the turtles. I gasp as they all blink at him, not knowing what to do.

Oh no, oh no, oh no. "What are ya, playing dress up?"

"No, sir, we were just..."

The man's gaze looks at something else behind us as Leo's trying to explain. "Which one of you slimy green ham shanks busted my satellite dish?" He demands, pointing a finger at us. What? I look behind me to see a broken satellite dish. When did we do that? It must've happened when Raph threw Mikey onto the ground earlier since that's where they were sitting before.

"Ham shanks?" Raph's eyes widen in rage.

"Amy is not a ham shank," Leo crosses his arms and I look at him in wonder that he's defending me.

"I don't even know what that means," Donnie scratches the side of his head. Wow, a word that Donnie doesn't know. Weird...well, I don't know it either, but still.

"Me neither," Raph states, "But I don't like it," he reaches out to pull out his sai, but Leo stops him by grabbing his arm. Raph looks at him in disbelief, but Leo makes it clear with his eyes that he couldn't hurt a civilian, no matter how much he wanted to. I agree with him, but it's pretty hard to not hit this guy...

"Let's just go," I tell them, walking past the two.

"That's right, you spineless cream puff! Listen to your girlfriend!" The man calls out, Leo, Raph, and I stopping in our tracks. You could literally hear the record scratch.

"What?!" Leo and I exclaim in shock. I wave my hands back and forth rapidly. Oh my god, I want to die of humiliation right now. Please, someone just swallow me up into a hole and don't bring me back. I don't know what gave him that idea, but I don't like this situation right now.

"I-I'm not-he's not-"

"Awkward," Mikey coughs.

Raph growls and pulls out his sai. "Hey, watch it, buddy! And she's not my _girlfriend_ ," he glares at the man, growling the last word to make it clear that I'm not.

"Oh no," The man pretends to look scared, placing his hands on his cheeks. "I didn't know you had salad tongs." He waves his fingers at those last two words.

" _Salad tongs_?" Raph asks, his words dripping in anger. Well...to be fair, they do look like that... He charges at the man and we have to hold him back before he seriously hurts this man. I don't blame him, but he was supposed to keep his identity, I don't know, a secret? "I'm not gonna take this from some greasy, pit-stained slob with a comb-over!"

"You callin' me ugly? Seen a mirror lately, circus freak?" The man retorts back. Oh no.

"Raph, don't!" Donnie warns him as we pull him by the arms.

"You want a piece of me?" The man eggs on. Please, just shut up.

"When I'm done, a piece of you is all that's gonna be left," Raph threatens, fire in his eyes. A pink laser blast flies by him and we pull him towards us. The culprit are the Kraang, as they've managed to find us. Probably because of Raph's screaming, we attracted attention to ourselves...nice going, Raph.

"Kraangdroids!" Leo exclaims.

"Holy toledo!" The man yells in surprise and I wonder how much damage can be done with him.

"Way to blow our position, Raph," Leo remarks as the turtles pull out their weapons. The Kraang power up their guns.

They open fire on us and I roll out of the way, hiding behind a window. While I was in training, I didn't have a weapon yet. I knew some basic moves, but Splinter said it was too soon for me to get my weapon, even though I've been training in hand-to-hand combat for a little while. Whenever I get my weapon, I hope it's a cool one like a sword or something that has a blade like Donnie's bo staff or Mikey's nunchucks. I peek at the turtles as I watch.

"Scram!" Leo calls out as they jump in the air. The man moves out of the way as the turtles maneuver past the lasers. The man runs to his door and hides there as the turtles jump and duck from the lasers. Raph runs past him and Leo stands in front of me as a Kraang stands near. Raph runs up to a Kraang, punches him, and knees him before throwing him over his shoulder. Leo glances at me before he leads the Kraang away from me, kicking the Kraang away. Mikey flips over lasers and lands near the window, flipping and ducking everywhere. He swings his nunchucks, hitting the Kraang's face. You know, I had never really seen them fight like this before. When I was kidnapped, they were unfocused and kept messing up. But now, they seem to know what they're doing. It's kind of...cool to see that I could be something like them. I could have my own style. I've been observing how they fight. Raph uses his rage to fight, and is a rough fighter. He makes sure that his opponents know it, too. Mikey is...bouncy, and he flips a lot. He also likes to use agility to hone his skills, which showcase how playful he really is. Donnie prefers close combat, since he has a stick. He also likes to use his intelligence to his advantage. If there's an opportunity, he'll take it. And Leo...he likes using his hands and feet. But he also uses his swords most of the time. And he'll use anything around him to pull anything off. If anything, I'd like to fight more like him...

Donnie spins around the lasers and gets close enough to whack the Kraang firing at him. See what I mean?

"Keep going, kung fu frogs," The man calls out as the Kraang get away. I glance over to him to see that he's got a cell phone in his hand! "This is pure gold!" Oh no, was he recording them the entire time they were fighting?

"We're not frogs, you idiot!" Raph yells at him, and this allows the Kraang to escape.

"Yeah, and it's not kung fu. It's an ancient Japanese battle art," Donnie defends and I step up to them, placing a hand on Donnie's shoulder.

"Not the time, Donnie. Guys, he's been recording you this whole time," I gesture to the man and Raph growls lowly, teeth gritting.

"Not for long, he doesn't," He runs up to the man, but he closes the door and Raph hits his face into it, sliding down slowly. I can't help but laugh as he stands up slowly.

"I'm gonna make a fortune off of this!" I hear the man shout before there are police sirens nearby. Raph growls in frustration.

"Fire truck's on route. 30 seconds," Donnie reports, eyes widening, which means we don't have much time.

"Let's move," Leo orders, and Raph doesn't look happy about that decision. During my short time, I've also learned that Leo and Raph don't get along very well because Leo's the oldest and newly appointed leader.

"Wait! We have to find that guy and break his phone, and his face!" Raph threatens, gripping his sai. He growls in defeat as the sirens are coming closer. I guess he'd rather not risk being caught than going after that man.

* * *

We kneel in front of Splinter as he paces in front of us. We've told him everything that happened, we had no choice but to tell him. I'm sitting between Donnie and Mikey. Technically, I'm not a turtle and this shouldn't affect me, but it does. He's seen me, he knows that I'm friends with them, and I don't know what he could do with that information. Luckily, nothing's happened yet, because there hasn't been any news reports about ninja turtles. At least he's somewhat smart...but that could mean he's got something else worse in store with that footage.

"Not only did Raphael alert the Kraang," Splinter starts off, coming to a stop. "But you got caught." He turns to us sharply. "On video!"

"Sensei," Raph looks up. "He was the angriest, nastiest guy you ever met."

Mikey leans near him. "Except for you," He grins teasingly and Raph punches him on the head. "Ow!" I rub Mikey on the head and he purrs happily.

"He called Amy my...girlfriend," Raph and I shudder at the thought in unison, everyone else gagging at the thought. Even Splinter looks disgusted just by hearing it. "And he insulted her, us too! You should've heard the insults he was throwing at us! They were so...insulting!" He couldn't find a better word for it, I think. But I'm surprised he's actually standing up for me, because Raph hasn't adjusted well to having me in the lair. He doesn't like it when I hog the bathroom, or when I try to redecorate the lair to my liking. Was ONE little flower vase too much to ask for? He would say that 'this is a guy's place' or 'we're not turning soft because of one girl.' I guess he has a different opinion of me than how he chooses to act.

"Oh," Splinter sounds sarcastic, "I did not realize he said mean things. Of course, you had no choice but to jeopardize your mission!"

"Burn," Mikey teases, Raph glaring at him.

"You are ninjas," Splinter tells us, "You, including Amelia, work in the shadows, in secret! This becomes difficult if there is proof of your existence in high definition!"

"Look, we know where this guy lives," Raph replies, "All we need to do is find him and shake him until the tape pops out."

"How about we leave the shaking part out?" I ask him and he gives me a glare. Well excuse me if hurting a civilian looks wrong.

"Oh, there's no tape," Donnie speaks up, "Video phones use flash memory-" He stops talking as Raph is gritting his teeth at him with a growl. He didn't use a tape, but still...

"Anger is self-destructive," Splinter starts off.

"I always thought it was others-destructive," Raph mutters, looking away.

"Raphael!" Raph's eyes widen as he looks at Splinter. "Stand up." Raph does so.

"Somebody's in trouble," Mikey teases as Raph clenches his fists. I feel like _we're_ the ones in trouble here, actually...

* * *

"I was right," I deadpan to myself. The four of us are holding a bow and arrows that have suction cups on them. Raph is standing in the middle of it all near Splinter.

"Evade the arrows," Splinter tells him simply.

"No problem," Raph looks confident in himself, but I feel like there's gonna more to this. I can sense it in Splinter's eyes.

"Hajime!" He declares, which means start, I learned. Mikey fires first and Raph narrowly ducks his head. Leo fires next and Raph moves out of the way. Donnie fires and Raph jumps over it, Splinter catching the stray arrow. I struggle a little with my firing, since I'm not experienced in archery, but I manage to fire one near Raph and he knocks it away. "Ya me!" I hear from Splinter and I lower my bow. Raph crosses his arms with his sai in his hand.

"Again, except this time, Amelia, Leonardo, Donatello, and Michelangelo...insult Raphael," Splinter points the arrow at Raph, making it sound like it was so easy to do WITHOUT the turtle getting mad.

"W-Wait," Donnie looks hesitant as I am, "Insult...him?" He points the arrow at Raph, as if the turtle would pummel him right there and then.

"Yes."

"And he can't fight back?" Donnie wonders, Raph's eyes widening. Okay...that was new. We have to insult Raph, and he's not allowed to hurt us? I'm sorry, but can I still have some protection, because knowing Raph, he wasn't gonna let us live it down.

"No."

Donnie chuckles slightly. "I'm feeling good about this plan."

"I'm not," I mutter under my breath.

"Amelia?" I break out of my thoughts as Splinter speaks my name. "I suggest you stand upright and place your feet apart for a better shot. You are progressing well."

"Okay," I nod with a small smile. "Thank you." I see that he's not scolding me, but trying to help me improve my shots, which I could appreciate. I never really was a bad shot, anyway.

"Pfft, good luck," Raph scoffs and I roll my eyes. Joke's on him, because he can't fight back.

"Hajime!" Splinter tells us and we circle around Raph, Mikey laughing. Probably because he's never gotten to insult his older brother without a risk.

"You move like a bloated buffalo!" Mikey exclaims, firing his arrow and Raph does a split before spinning around and jumping onto his feet.

"I do not!" Raph declines, clenching his fists.

"And you're always whining," Leo shakes his head with a grin. " 'Poor me, nobody understands me.' " Leo fires an arrow, the others laughing.

"Well, you don't understand-" Raph stops speaking as Leo's arrow hits him on the shell, right near his sais. I wonder what Raph meant by that. Raph turns around and glares at Leo for getting a shot.

"And..." Donnie tries to think of an insult. "Oh, you don't keep your back straight when doing omote kote gyaku," He fires and it lands right next to Leo's arrow. "And you're ugly!" Donnie laughs manically and Raph looks like he wants to attack him.

"You're so moody," I call out, shaking my head as my feet are apart and I'm standing upright. I fire my arrow and, to my surprise, I hit him above the 3 arrows on his shell. Raph gives me a small frown and I shrug sheepishly. If I had to insult him, I had to insult him! I hadn't known him for THAT long...

"And gassy," Mikey inputs, firing with a laugh as he gets Raph again. "Bullseye!"

"Stop it," Raph demands, getting angry.

"Aw, you talk so tough, but inside, you're just a scared little baby," Leo taunts.

"Who needs his bottle?" Donnie fires another one.

"And his diaper changed?" Mikey teases, firing his arrow.

"Or his binky to suck on?" I sing, but I didn't really mean it as I fire again.

"Ha, good one," Donnie laughs at me.

"What's the matter, Raph? Gonna cry?" Leo teases, firing an arrow at the back of Raph's head.

"I. Am. Not. Gonna. Cry!" Raph denies as his anger is getting to him with each arrow that is fired. The last one hits him in the face and he goes down. I guess by insulting him, it'll get the best of him if he doesn't ignore them...

"Ah, I wish this moment could last forever," Mikey sighs in delight.

"You know what?" Raph stands up, throwing down his sais in anger. "Forget this. This is stupid."

"Ah, it didn't," Mikey complains, sagging. Raph turns around and Mikey backs up a bit. He has at least a dozen arrows on his shell, and one on each side of his head. I try not to laugh as I cover my mouth with my hand. To be honest, he looks pretty funny. Raph walks up to Splinter slowly.

"Ninniku seishin is the ability to endure insults with patience and humility," Splinter states, "You cannot be a true ninja until you master it," The two arrows on Raph's head fall off, causing Mikey to laugh. Raph grits his teeth at him, clenching a fist. "Understood?" Raph looks at his hand before looking at Splinter.

"Hai sensei."

"Um, sensei, if I may?" I raise a hand and the two look at me. "I think Raph just needs to calm down and focus his anger rather than trying to conceal it. It's a part of his fighting style."

"What are you, a hippie?" Raph asks in disbelief. Splinter stares at me in a way I've never seen from him before. It was like he was looking into my soul.

"No. Amelia is right."

The other turtles gasp, as if no one's ever heard that before. I had to say something! It was gonna hurt him if he kept trying to hide his anger.

"You must get that video back. Using _reason_ , not force," Raph looks down and I let out a breath of relief that I didn't know I was even holding.

When we exit the dojo, Donnie steps up to me. "Amy, that was unbelievable. Only a few days and Splinter's already admitting you're right!" He chuckles and I smile slightly as he walks off. I don't truly know how I feel about that since it was about Raph and I could imagine he doesn't want me in his business.

"So, uh," I hear someone clear their throat and I turn to Leo. My heart immediately lit up in my chest, but it looks like Leo's worrying about something. "Um...Amy, about what that guy said-"

"God, don't remind me," Raph interrupts as he's standing on my left, shocking me a little. He doesn't seem too bitter towards me, but I can't tell if that's a good thing. "No offense, Amy, but you ain't my type."

"Believe me, I don't like you in that way either," I hold up my hands in defense, turning to Leo. "Raph and I are NEVER gonna be a thing. Sure, he's a good friend, but I don't see myself with him. Heck, we barely have anything in common."

Leo looks relieved to hear that. "Good..." He follows Donnie to prepare for our departure.

"Yo," I look at Raph and he has his eyes closed. "Amy...what you said..."

Oh no, am I gonna be in trouble for this? I sweat profusely, preparing for something, anything. But he just sighs and places a hand on my shoulder.

"You...have a point. I really think we're on the same page here. So...thanks for that. You really don't know how much that meant to hear someone say that and to understand that...I can't always control it."

My eyes widen as he doesn't look sarcastic, he looks really genuine. I can't help but smile at him. "Sure. If I was going through something like that...I'd try to control it too, no matter what."

"Heh," Raph smiles slightly, which was a start. Him smiling was a rare thing, it seemed. "Just...be careful topside. With four ninja turtles, it's bound to be crazy. And Amy? This conversation never happened," He walks away and I'm left standing there with a grin.

"Forgetting," I follow after him. Raph and I never really got to the same page before...it feels kind of nice that he's worried about my lifestyle with them, and it's understandable. I can tell that he didn't really like the idea of me staying with them, but at least I understand a little bit better on why he felt that way.

* * *

We've found the guy's place since we were attacked there, and he's just leaving his apartment, talking on the phone. "That's right. I swear on my mother's grave that these guys are frogs, they know kung fu, and there's a girl who knows them! You can't tell me that's not worth something." Oh man, is he trying to sell that footage?! That could go too far and Splinter would be really angry with us.

"Yeah, Pinkie, I think." I hear him say and my nostrils flare up in annoyance. The other turtles snicker and i give them the angriest glare ever. I am not being called Pinkie. I'd get a reputation! What I hate the most about it is that a random guy who is trying to make a buck from the turtles came up with it. Who does that?!

We jump down from the rooftops, surrounding the man. He screams, clutching his phone. He puts it back to his ear. "I'll call you back." He hangs up, holding up a finger. "Lay one finger on me, frog, and i'm calling the cops," He threatens, backing away. "That goes for you too, Pinkie."

"Real funny," I deadpan. He probably calls me that because of my skirt and shoes.

"We're not...gonna hurt you," Raph says in a strained way.

"Then what do you want, freak?" The man spits.

"We got off on the wrong foot last night," Raph starts off and I can tell how much he's struggling with this. "Some things were said, and well...we would just like that video back." Raph gives a grin, as does the others to try and convince him. The man doesn't look fazed and Leo hits Raph on the arm slightly. Raph looks away. "Please."

Wow, the first time I heard Raph say please. I'm gonna write this down somewhere and frame it.

"What are you gonna give me for it?" The man wonders.

"Give you for it?" Raph asks in confusion, and I really don't want to have to do anything just for this dude to give us the video. He's already annoying and obnoxious enough. Huh, I guess Raph has a human counterpart now.

"Well, I figure I've got you over a barrel, so you've got to make it worth my while," He explains, shrugging with a smug smile. He's just eating this up, is he?

"I'll make it worth your while..." Raph glares at him. "I won't take your head and SMASH IT AGAINST THE-"

Leo places a hand on Raph's shoulder. "Okay, okay, thank you Raphael," Leo interrupts, Donnie and Mikey looking baffled at Raph's attitude. "Amy and I will take over," Leo places a hand on his plastron, gesturing to me with his other hand. He gives Raph a look that is basically a 'shut up, this is important' face. Raph huffs and crosses his arms, looking peeved. "So, what are you looking for?" Leo smiles nicely, hoping that we can do whatever this guy wants...well, not anything. If it includes me doing something embarrassing, I would back out. I'm not doing anything to risk my humility for this dude.

"Yeah, let's get this over with," I take a bottle of water and sip it.

"A...cool mil ought to cover it."

I choke slightly from my sip, swallowing it slowly. I beg your pardon?

"Mm hmm, mm hmm," Leo nods, obviously not familiar with the phrase. "A cool mil of what?" Honestly, it was kind of adorable, but yet I want to punch this man in the face for being so confident that he's gonna get what he wants, which we don't have.

I let out a sigh as I step in front of the turtles. "A cool mil is a million dollars," I explain, crossing my arms. Ninja turtles don't have that kind of money.

"We don't have a million dollars," Leo states slowly.

"We do have some Canadian quarters that fell through the grate," Mikey explains hopefully, but I don't think that's gonna cut it.

"I can make serious money off this thing," He shows us the video on his phone. "And if you don't wanna pay, I'll hold onto it until someone else does." What the heck, he can't just keep it just because of his greed. That is so stupid in my head, it hurts. Seriously, he's gonna risk their existence by trying to sell it off? What makes him think he can get away with that, or even get the money right away?

"That's it," Raph grabs his arm and tackles the man onto the ground, the rest of us staring. I guess Raph was getting fed up as well. "Hand over that video, or so help me, I'll kick your hairy butt to New Jersey!"

A headlight shines on us and I see a white van that we all know too well heading straight for the two. "Guys, the Kraang!" Leo exclaims. "Raph!" Leo calls out as we're not in the way. Raph looks back at the van.

"Look out!" Leo pushes them out of the way, the van driving past them. Of course they weren't gonna stop, they're after their shells. Raph and Leo look back as the van has circled around. "Let's not let this one get away."

Raph looks back and picks up a barrel. He throws it and the barrel hits the van, which causes it to swerve and crash into a closed garage door. "Well," Raph grins, crossing his arms. "That was easy."

The Kraang immediately emerge from the back and start firing their laser guns. "O...kay," Raph says slowly and Donnie lets out a scream as we duck. Leo runs up to the trio, Donnie and Mikey following behind him. They jump away from the lasers and I backflip over them. Raph runs against the garage door and leaps, disarming the Kraang with his foot. He kicks the alien robot to the ground. Raph turns to another one, spins around, and kicks him before disarming the third one and throwing him over his shoulder. I was about to move, but something touches my foot. I look down to see the laser guns the Kraang were using anf get an idea. I pick it up and hold it in both hands, firing at the Kraang. One of them lands near the man, who is trying to escape, but four laser blasts prevent him from moving further.

"This is way cool," I grin to myself, firing a gun out of one of their hands.

"Thanks Amy!" Donnie calls out, swinging and knocking one down.

One of them fires at Mikey, who hits him with his nunchuck, doing a karate yell. The man is knocked into the van when I fire lasers at one of the Kraang, knocking him to the vehicle. Leo jumps over Raph, and they maneuver over each other to fight their opponents. Raph looks to see the man.

"Oh no you don't!"

"Raph, no!" I warn him as Leo looks back, battling a Kraang.

"Raph, what are you doing? Get back here!" He pushes the robot using his katana, but is kicked to the ground by another one. Two of them start hitting him while he's down. "Raph!"

I was gonna help him, but I get disarmed when a Kraang kicks the laser gun I stole out of my hands. He was going to kick me, but I duck underneath it, catching a glance at Raph. I kick the Kraang while I'm not looking, knocking him down. Raph clutches his sais as he looks angry.

"We've got unfinished business!" He steps into the van, cornering the guy. I won't feel bad for him, but Raph had to get his priorities in order. "You give me that phone, right now!" Three Kraang step in, blocking my view while I'm still dealing with lasers and Kraang. I duck twice from a punch and sweep my leg. While the Kraang is still in the air, I grab his arm and throw him onto the ground, weakening him enough to make him lay there.

"Watch out!" I hear from Donnie and I do a split as he throws his bo staff, knocking down a Kraang near me. In one swift motion, I kick up his staff so it falls into my hand.

"Thanks! Catch!" I throw his staff back to him and he holds up his hand, catching it.

"I owed you one!" He tells me and I don't know what it is about my fighting, but I just feel so confident and fluent in my movement right now. It's kind of...exciting. If this is what being a part of their team is about, I kind of like it. I never really knew I could move like this, that training is really helping me. It's all about thinking on your feet and using that focus to benefit yourself like the turtles do.

A honk brings me out of my thoughts and I see the van backing up and getting away—with a member still inside!

"Raph's in the van!" Leo exclaims and we all chase after it. I keep up a steady pace and I could barely see Raph holding on his own in there. He's punching and stabbing his sai into weapons, which shocks one of them strong enough to leave half his face intact. He kicks one, throwing the other one by the arm. He gut punches one and spins, punching him in the face. He's then grabbed by another by the throat, struggling as he's close to being thrown out of the van. Raph bites the arm of the Kraang holding him, throwing the alien robot off and punching him in the face. He then offers a hand to the man on the floor.

"Let's get out of here!"

"Forget it! You lizards don't want to buy my video, maybe these guys will," He looks at the other Kraang.

"Raph!" I then notice Donnie right next me, which is surprising since he wasn't there before. He holds out his staff for Raph to grab. "Get out of there!"

Raph doesn't listen and approaches the man. "Listen, you idiot!" He grabs the man's arm. "Frogs are not lizards! And we're not frogs!" He's suddenly grabbed by a Kraang that was down and then thrown into us. We all to the ground as he crashes into us.

"Rrrgh," I clench my fist, slamming it against the street in frustration. How did this get so hard to get a simple video back?

I sit up with a low sigh and Mikey helps me up. I dust off my skirt with one hand as Leo glares down at his brother.

"Nice going, Raph," He scolds.

"What did I do?" Raph demands, getting up and getting in Leo's face.

"What did you do?!" Leo asks with incredibility. "You left the four of us in the middle of the fight to yell at somebody! We could've stopped them, but thanks to your temper, the guy with the tape-"

"Yeah, technically, it's a flash-"

"Not now," Leo whispers to him harshly. Donnie looks down dejectedly and I place a gentle hand on his shoulder. Poor dude, he was only trying to make a point. "Is in the hands of the Kraang." Donnie notices something on the ground and I follow his gaze. "How are we supposed to find them?" Donnie bends down to a dark stain on the road. I touch it slightly and smell my finger.

"Look, the truck's leaking," Donnie and I say at the same time. He stares at me like he's never seen this side of me before. I wink at him. After all, I'm the daughter of two scientists.

"Alright!" Leo looks pleased. "We can follow the trail to their hideout!" Donnie and I high three each other.

"And then we'll bash some bots!" Raph punches his fists together, grinning. The others stare at him, Leo narrowing his eyes. "What?"

"We are going to bash some bots," Leo looks towards the rest of us. He looks back at Raph. "You are going home."

"What, are you kidding?" Raph glances towards the three of us. "Come on, guys. Are we gonna let Leo power-trip like this?"

Donnie, Mikey, and I glance towards each other. "I think Leo's right," Donnie speaks for the three of us. I don't want to do this to him, but...he already let the Kraang figure out our location twice already. If he keeps going after this guy, it was gonna hurt us.

"You gotta control your temper. Until then, we just can't trust you," Leo walks away, Mikey looking especially guilty.

"Sorry Raph," He's the last turtle to leave as Raph is just left standing there. I stare at him, glancing at the other turtles behind me.

"Raph...?" I whisper softly as he looks like his whole life was sealed before him. He looks at me and shakes his head.

"Don't...you're useful to them. I saw the way you were fighting and how fast you were. You got to the van before them. Use that potential you have, Amy. At least you know how to control yourself!" He throws down his sai and I didn't want to leave him. He just looks so upset with himself in the way he's bringing himself down. I linger there for a few more seconds before following after the others.

* * *

Donnie lands in the alley as another oil stain is right in front of him. He turns a corner and Mikey lands on top of a dumpster, flipping and landing next to his brother. Leo sneaks near them and he waves me forward. I slowly step over to them, standing behind Mikey.

"We're here," Donnie whispers as the trail led us to a garage door in a building near a fortune cookie factory.

"Are we really gonna do this without Raph?" Mikey wonders and I can't help but feel that he made a good point. It just didn't feel right without him.

"We can handle it," Leo tells him confidently.

"I don't know," Mikey speaks hesitantly, "It just feels like something's missing."

Leo raises his hand and smacks Mikey on the head. "OW! Thanks." Mikey looks grateful.

"Happy to help. Let's go," We go around. The four of us climb up the building to get in through the rooftop door. We leap down the stairs during our stealth movement. We've entered a warehouse that has shipping crates and spiderwebs.

"Spiders," Mikey whimpers slightly, hugging me from behind. "Hold me, Amy!"

"Mikey," I shush him, pulling him off. Leo takes a look around as I'm moving behind him. I hear a slap sound behind me.

"Ow! You don't have to keep doing that," He rubs his head, turning around to Donnie. Leo and I hide behind a crate.

"Amy," He whispers at me.

"What?" I whisper back, keeping an eye out.

"You've really impressed me."

I whip my head to him. "Huh? Oh," I rub my neck sheepishly. "That? I'm just trying to help in the best way possible." Really, I have no idea what I'm doing most of the time. I'm still training, after all, not everything is gonna be easy to do in a real fight.

"You know how to use a Kraang gun and you're really fast," Leo notes, counting it off on his fingers. "If anything, you're already doing your best."

"Well...thank you," I smile at him. "I appreciate it."

He smiles back at me and we both hear fighting noises. I look slightly disappointed at the interrupted moment as Mikey is hitting Donnie on the head with his hands. Leo and I look at each other before we both sigh in unison, standing up. We walk over to the fighting brothers.

"Hey!" Leo warns them quietly. Mikey and Donnie turn to us.

"Shush," I glare at them slightly, not only because they interrupted my moment with Leo, but because they're not being actual ninjas. I see Mikey holding up a hand to Donnie as a threat before he lowers it. Donnie sighs and I shake my head as I follow after them, so they don't do anything else. The Kraang are holding the man hostage in a swivel chair next to a whole supply of mutagen. Oh, this can't be good...

"The image that is the image on the phone is pleasing to the eye of Kraang," One of them says.

"This is true. Kraang is looking what is known in earth terms as 'handsome' in this phone." I think he means that he thinks he looks handsome, which is the total opposite.

We sneak over to behind a crate near them. "Well, you guys drive a hard bargain. Tell you what, I'll drop it down to 500,000. And you can keep the phone." The disguised Kraang turns around, not answering him. This man's greed disgusts me. "Okay, 400,000."

"This is our fight with the creatures called the turtles and Amelia."

"The usefulness of this will be proven usefully with the more watching of this."

"Also, this is being a good image of Kraang." What good image, all they did was fire laser guns at us...

Mikey hands me his chain and I spin it around slowly. I throw the chain silently and catch the bottom half. I slowly pull the man over while the Kraang are distracted.

"We should be showing the image of Kraang to Kraang."

The man turns around to see us. "We're gonna get you out of here," Leo whispers to him.

"What about my phone?" He asks and I shush him, Donnie shaking his head with a cringe. If he's this loud, they might be able to hear him.

"Get a new one!" I hiss at him in frustration. Seriously, he can just get one at the nearest store that's the same model and move on.

"Don't shush me, Pinkie. I ain't leaving here without my phone!" He snarls and I facepalm.

"My name is not Pinkie!" I fume angrily and the Kraang turn around at his voice.

"Stop the one that needs to be stopped." They point their laser guns at us. "Stop!" We all cringe at being caught.

"Remind me why we have to rescue this guy?" Donnie wonders.

"Yeah, I'd like to know that too!" I retort to Leo as the Kraang start firing.

Leo unsheathes his swords as he dodges the lasers and kicks one. Mikey runs past a Kraang and Donnie comes around, whacking him to the ground. I run up to a Kraang and duck from the lasers, spinning around and kicking him away. Donnie spins his staff and trips a Kraang, Mikey kicking him down while he's still in the air. The two brothers grin at each other before going back into action. While we're dealing with them, Leo kicks away the guy's phone, which he must've been trying to get while still tied up in the chair. Donnie flips and I backflip over a laser to avoid it. A stray laser then hits the mutagen supply, releasing all of it. A scream is heard, ceasing the fight. The scream then dies down as some muscles are heard moving and then nothing else.

"Kraang, go look and at the place where the thing that makes the noise is, and tell us what thing makes that noise in that place." Basically, one of them is going to investigate and tell them what it is making that noise. Kraang 101, people.

The Kraang assigned to go look inches forward before disappearing into the shadows where the noise was coming from. Mikey stares after it and a few seconds later, the Kraang is sent flying onto the ground. The alien brain releases itself from its body, crawling away in fright. It must be bad if it makes a Kraang react like that...

"I don't like the sound of that," Mikey says nervously. Then a large spider with a round body without a head and neck (most of it is taken up by a huge fang-filled mouth), has six eyes, a toothed mouth, two pudgy arms and legs, four slender arachnid claws on his head, and is red and black, with some orange outlines. It opens its eyes and snarls at all of us. "I don't like the look of it either!"

"What did you do to me? I'm hideous," The spider says and I immediately recognize his voice as the man who took video of the turtles.

"Hey, if anything, this is an improvement," I whisper to the others.

"Don't worry. The five of us can handle him," Leo states, but well...

"Okay, this might be a bad time to point this out, but you sent one of the five of us home," Donnie tells him nervously as Leo gives him a look.

"And right now, I wish it was me!" Mikey whimpers.

"This is your fault," He accuses, but it's really not if he hadn't tried to get his phone back. I'm just saying. "I'm gonna rip your heads off!"

"But I prefer my head," I complain and Leo holds his swords.

"Alright guys, prepare to dish out the mighty wrath of justice," He declares, holding one of his swords in the air. Donnie shakes his head in disbelief.

"Seriously, just yell 'get him,' " Donnie deadpans and I can't help but laugh. It's funny, but to tell you the truth, that phrase was pretty heroic. It almost sounded like something Captain Ryan would say.

"Get-" Leo is knocked by one of the claws into a pile of crates. They break as soon as he crashes into them. I gasp at the spider's strength and Donnie runs up to him, leaping in the air and preparing to strike him with his bo staff. The spider blocks him using his claws, knocking Donnie back. Mikey attacks next, swinging his nunchucks back and forth. The spider knocks him away. Leo attacks next, jumping over the spider and landing in front of us.

"Is that all you got?" Mikey eggs on. The mutant puffs up his cheeks before spitting out a yellow glob right at me. Leo gasps as he pulls me out of the way, the yellow substance landing near our feet. It melts right into the floor, leaving a hole. How the heck did he get acid? "The answer I was looking for was yes!" Mikey exclaims when Leo glares at him. The mutant fires another one and we run past them before two are launched in front of us.

We run forward and he chases after us before he's suddenly in FRONT of us. We run away from more acid, because there is no way we can fight against that without getting melted. We evade his attacks as Donnie attacks him again, running away from another acid blob. Leo swings his swords at him and the spider chomps at him. Then a barrel is thrown into his mouth, the culprit being Mikey. He smiles and chucks another one at his face and the spider spits it out.

He roars at us and we run away from him as he tries to bite us. Turning around, we hear a hissing sound before realizing that the floor is disintegrating right underneath us. We scream as we fall through, landing on the second floor harshly.

"We're no match for Spider Bytes!" Mikey exclaims nervously.

"Spider Bytes?" Leo asks in confusion as Donnie and I stare at him. When did he come up with that? We stand up slowly.

"Well he's a spider, and he bites, so I thought-"

"We get it," Leo interrupts Mikey's explanation. 'Spider Bytes' suddenly lands in front of us and our eyes widen. He slowly stands in front of us, roaring in our faces. We try to run left, but he ends up right in front of us. Then to the right, only to get the same result.

"This bug is fast," Leo says in exasperation as Mikey looks dizzy.

"Yeah, spiders aren't actually bugs. They-"

"I think we've had enough correcting today," I interrupt calmly, placing a hand on his shoulder. I know he's trying to make a point, but now was not the time in the middle of a fight. Well, more like an attempt of retreating. Donnie gets grabbed by one of the claws from Spider Bytes before he's thrown to a crate.

"Playtime's over, frogs and Pinkie." He spits acid at us again and the rest of us move out of the way. He inches closer and I thought we'd be done for until we heard a voice.

"Wow," Spider Bytes turns around to see Raph standing near the mutagen. "I didn't think this guy could get any uglier."

"Raph!" Donnie, Mikey, and I exclaim in relief, Leo smiling. Raph leaps into the air and backflips, landing on the floor. He looks up at us and Spider Bytes.

"Well, I think you've been punished long enough. Come and join us," Leo encourages, but Spider Bytes intervenes.

"Hey, it's the kung fu frog with the salad tongs," He remarks, hands on his hips. I'm a little worried that Raph might get angry again, but he doesn't do any of the sort. He looks actually pretty calm about himself.

"Hey, it's the stupid loudmouth who's about to get his butt kicked," Raph retorts, pointing his sais at Spider Bytes.

"Ha, good one," I laugh at Spider Bytes.

"Thanks," Raph grins at me before the spider mutant fires acid from his mouth. Raph ducks and we watch as Spider Bytes spits acid around us in a circle. He spits the last one and we fall through another floor. How many floors does this place have?!

Donnie sits up, holding his head before realizing what we're sitting on. "Uh, let's not fall this floor, okay?"

I see the mutagen underneath us and gulp. "I second that."

"Dance for me, frog," I hear and I can tell Spider Bytes is firing lots of acid at Raph, but he's missing as there are multiple holes seeping through the ceiling. "Watch me turn your friends into frog fries and pink dessert. I'll serve 'em up with your salad tongs."

Wait, what? Suddenly, Spider Bytes jumps through the ceiling using his acid. Raph swings around on it and cuts it when he lands on the spider. Spider Bytes lands on his face and Raph stands a few feet away. Spider Bytes stands up, roaring at him.

"Aww, froggy thinks he can stop me." Oh no. He's doing it again. I glance at Raph behind a crate, hoping that he can handle this. "Ribbit, ribbit. What's that, tadpole? Are you too scared to leap off your lily pad and get the warts knocked off you?"

While he's trying to get to Raph, the turtle himself is taking a deep breath, focusing very hard on...something. I don't know exactly what, but it seems to be helping him. He opens his eyes, lightly touching his sais.

"Like a river over stone..."

That sounds like something Splinter would say...Raph grins and charges towards Spider Bytes, dodging the claws. He spins around in a circle and kicks the spider mutant before hitting him again. He punches twice with both hands and kicks, Spider Bytes whimpering. He extends his claws and Raph captures one with his sais. The spider mutant fires his acid, but Raph pulls the claw so that the acid hits it. Spider Bytes takes his claw back, looking at the damage.

"That's some kung fu, frog," He says, actually impressed. The rest of us land behind Raph and he smiles slightly.

"We're not frogs," He starts off, waving his sai before pointing it dramatically at the mutant. "We're ninja turtles. And one awesome friend!"

That's so inspiring all of a sudden...We all charge as Spider Bytes thrusts his claws at us. Leo deflects it with his swords. Mikey jumps up and uses his nunchucks as a semi zip line using the claw. He moves towards Spider Bytes to kick him in the face. I run towards Spider Bytes and glide across the floor, kicking the mutant in the air. Donnie and Raph jump up, hitting him over the head. He goes down and I see the phone beneath my foot.

"Wanna do the honors?" Raph smirks at me.

"My pleasure," I grin as I gesture to myself and then I stomp the phone with my heel into pieces, breaking it. I needed payback for the Pinkie thing anyway, and I felt like Raph knew that too. Good.

"Oh! My phone!" It's not like he can use it with those fingers in the first place...we surround him, ready for anything and he looks around, noticing the odds. "You guys are gonna regret this." He uses his claws to climb the mutagen supply and exit the building. We follow after him, but by the time we get to the rooftops, he's already getting away. No use going after him, he wasn't worth it. At least the video is now gone for good.

"I know a nice black widow that'd be great for him," Donnie states, smirking.

"Maybe in another lifetime," I snort at him. Just the thought of that guy getting together with anyone is a little unsettling.

"Good work, Raph," Leo tells his brother, looking guilty for earlier. "I just wanna say-"

"Ya don't have to apologize," Raph shakes his head, looking satisfied and content with what happened.

"I wasn't going to," Leo denies.

"Oh. Good," Raph comments, turning to me. "Amy, you were totally right. Thanks for the advice." He looks like he's thanking me for much more, though. As if he's thanking me for understanding his situation and not telling anyone.

"Oh," I look surprised even though I really shouldn't be. "Well, no problem."

"Yeah, Raph, not bad for a bloated buffalo," Mikey remarks, Raph's eyes widening slightly. Mikey chuckles and Raph smirks, the other turtles looking away smugly. Raph tackles Mikey. "Okay! Raph is all-wise and powerful!"

"And?" Raph asks as Mikey waves his arms.

"And he's better than me in every possible way!"

The rest of us just look on with a smile. Oh, Raph. He'll never change.


	4. New Friend, Old Enemy

The turtles and I are rooftop running tonight, since nothing was going on with the Kraang or anything like that. I have to tell you, rooftop running is my favorite part of patrol. The rush of the wind, the adrenaline pumping through my body...it was like being...a bird. Yes, a bird, because they're so free and majestic, like an eagle. Granted, we mostly see pigeons, but I think I got my point across. We flip onto another rooftop and Donnie smiles, running up ahead.

"Check it out!" He hollers as he frontflips twice and rolls onto the rooftop with a 'Yeehee!'

Mikey uses the water tower nearby to backflip and roll sideways, laughing as Donnie claps. They look at us as Leo slides to a stop. He sees the alley down below.

"Top that, turtle chumps!" Mikey calls out and Donnie elbows him slightly. "Oh, and you too, uh...pink...chick," He tries to trash talk me.

"Nice," Raph snorts at his failed attempt before calling out, "You could've said Pinkie!" He laughs and slowly stops when Leo and I are glaring at him. "Never mind."

I roll my eyes and Leo gestures to the gap, looking at me. "Ladies first. O-Or third," He stammers, correcting himself. Smiling, I back away some to get some more distance. I take a deep breath as I figure out what to do before I run past them. Just before I reach the edge, I frontflip and land on my hands. I push myself into the air, doing a 360 spin before I land on my hands again, gracefully bringing my feet onto the ground and standing up, holding out my arms like a ballerina.

"You may applaud now," I bow as Donnie, Leo, and Mikey all clap. I look up at Raph, who's only grinning.

"See, there's some competition there," Raph nudges Leo.

"How'd you do that?" Donnie wonders.

"I was in gymnastics for most of my life," I smile at the two. Glancing over to the other side, I egg Leo on by curling my finger towards us.

"Alright, guys," He backs away slightly, Raph looking smug. "Check this out." He runs forward, backflipping twice before landing on the edge and backflipping twice again as he lands on our side.

"Whoa," Mikey comments in awe as Leo brushes himself off, nodding.

"Show off," I roll my eyes silently.

"You did better than me. Only slightly," Leo smirks in amusement.

"I'll take what I can get for now," I smirk back. I don't know what it is, but I just feel like being smug with him today. Raph cricks his neck to prepare himself and rushes forward. He then jumps right at his brothers and I move out of the way. He tackles his brothers onto the ground. Raph laughs as they all stand up and I can't help but laugh myself.

"Okay, what was that? You didn't do any flips," Donnie accuses.

"Oops," Raph grins widely, and he totally did that on purpose. "And hey, Leo here punched that guy for-"

"L-Let's move on," Leo stammers and I glance at him weirdly. For some reason, that keeps being brought up when I'm around...I'm thinking it's a guy thing, or turtle thing, really. But if that was true, why would they mention it around me if they don't want me to know? Like, there was one time I was walking into the kitchen and Mikey's mouth was covered by Leo for some reason. I'm surprised Mikey himself hasn't accidentally blabbed about it, and he would be the type to do that. Maybe I'm just overthinking it or maybe it's something that would embarrass Leo...

We suddenly hear a noise and we stop. Leo runs to a wall and we follow him, standing behind one another one by one. Leo gives us a signal to stay put before holding the hilt of his sword. He slowly unsheathes it and the others do the same. We step forward, weapons ready...only to see a black and white kitten. It has yellow pupils and a red collar around its neck. It just looks at us, meowing as Leo looks humiliated at the fact that we were prepared to deal with a small kitten.

Raph puts his sais away as he places a hand on Leo's shoulder. "Don't give up, Leo. You might actually win this fight."

"Aww!" Mikey pushes past Leo and Donnie. "It's a little kitty," He picks it up in his hands, petting its belly. I walk over to the kitty, petting it on the head.

"It's so adorable!" I coo as the kitten meows, purring and butting my hand with her head.

"And its name is..."

"Mittens!" A voice calls out that's not Mikey.

"Good guess," Mikey looks up in confusion, "Wait, who said that?"

A man with his window open is looking for his missing kitten. "Mittens?"

"I think that's the owner," Donnie deduces, Mikey immediately running forward. "What are you doing?!"

"Whoa, hey!" Leo warns.

"Mikey, wait!" Raph calls out and Mikey turns back to us.

"What? I'm returning Mittens to her owner," Mikey says as if it's not a big deal.

"Are you an idiot?" Raph asks in disbelief. "Wait, let me rephrase that. You're an idiot!"

"Mikey, I don't think that's a good idea," I suggest, as I can only summarize what would happen if Mikey shows himself in front of that man: Fear, disgust, panic.

"You can't show yourself to a human," Donnie states the obvious and I turn to him, annoyed. He senses my look and rubs his neck. "I-I mean, other than Amy here. Heh. Sorry."

"Why not?" Mikey asks, oblivious.

"Because they'll freak the heck out, that's why not," Donnie explains sternly and I cross my arms. I'm a human and I didn't freak out at them at all. In fact, I had the opposite reaction, so it's not that unbelievable that a human can see past that. "A-Again, sorry."

"No, they won't," Mikey denies, shaking his head. I don't know why he thinks that guy would just accept him if he's acting this confident. "I'm not so scary."

"You're an ugly, green mutant armed with ninja weapons," Raph points out and Leo gives him a look.

"Why don't I just return him?" I offer, "It's less of a risk, Mikey." Donnie points his thumb at me knowingly.

"Look, this guy's gonna see that I'm a regular, cat-loving dude like him," Mikey scratches Mittens underneath her chin, making her purr. Oh my god, that is so cute, I could die...~ I love kittens, mostly because I'm not allergic to them. Dogs make me go into hives and it could cut off my circulation if their fur touches my throat. "Next thing you know, we'll be best buds. This is gonna be awesome!" He jumps off, the rest of us protesting.

"No!"

"Don't!"

"Wait!"

"Mikey!"

"Mittens!" The owner calls out, still looking around the window. Mikey jumps onto the fire escape, showing himself and waving.

"Hi. Here's your-"

The man screams, interrupting Mikey. "Ugly, green mutant freak!" Okay, now that's just going a little too far.

"But I got your cat!" Mikey protests, holding the kitten.

"Help! He's got my cat!" The man yells, pointing at Mikey.

"Dude, chill! I'm just-" Mikey exclaims and Mitten suddenly attacks him, jumping onto his head. Mikey tries to get it off, ultimately falling off the fire escape and into the alley below. Raph and Leo close their eyes, Raph facepalming as he shakes his head. I give out a small sigh as we jump down to Mikey, who's leaning against the wall. Mittens is somehow gone, but I didn't see her being returned...

I help Mikey stand up. Poor guy, he just wanted to make friends with other humans...I am slightly offended, but on the other hand, I can relate to that, because I didn't have that many friends either. If anything, Mikey's like a little brother I never knew I wanted because he's just so fun and energetic.

"Someone wanna help me with this?" Mikey shows the angry kitten on his shell. Oh, so that's where it went. Mittens is scratching on his shell.

"No," The other turtles answer simply and I give them a look.

"You guys need to understand him more," I tell them honestly and they give me shocked looks as if they hadn't heard that before. Really, they need to understand Mikey more because he's feeling a little lonely. Yeah, he didn't have the best approach, but he just needs some guidance. I step up to Mittens and take her in my hands, petting her back to calm her down. The others are just looking at me like I came from another planet or something "Wait here, I'll deal with the owner."

I jump up to the fire escape without waiting for an answer and climb up to the window. I knock on the glass and the man steps out, gasping as he opens it up.

"Mittens!" I hand over the kitten, who looks happy to be returned with her owner. "Oh, thank you, miss! Thank you!"

"Sure," I nod and jump back down to the guys. Mikey is doing some...weird moves. He's punching and kicking in the air and he does this weird noise while waving his hand. He does some other movement with his arms before placing his hands on his hips.

"Now don't tell anyone you saw that," He leans towards us, whispering.

"No problem," Leo says honestly and I raise an eyebrow.

"What landmine have I stepped into?" I ask and they yelp in surprise, now just noticing me. I guess all those stealth exercises with Splinter have paid off if even they can't notice me.

Leo simply points up to a billboard a few feet away. Ah...I turn back to Mikey. "You want Chris Bradford, a martial arts superstar, to be your friend?" I deduce, and as much as I wanna help the guy, that's going a bit too far.

Raph shakes his head, walking up to his brother. "Face it, Mikey, Chris Bradford is the last person on Earth that would be friends with you. Well, tied for last, with everyone else on Earth."

I flare up my nostrils as I step on Raph's foot. He yelps, jumping up and down as he holds his foot. Leo and Donnie laugh at him.

"I'm a person too," I point out to Raph, hands on my hips. He can't just say that to Mikey and expect me to be okay with it. I suddenly see two people behind me and we look around as people in black garb surround us. They land in the alley and we narrow our eyes. Hey, I thought the turtles were the only ninjas!

"Ninjas? In New York?" Donnie asks in disbelief as he glances at our attackers. "Other than us?" They look fully armored and dangerous. There's something about these ninjas that worries me...I don't like it. There has to be an ulterior motive here. After all, why would they be after us?

The turtles pull out their weapons as I awkwardly get into a fighting stance. How was I going to defend myself against dangerous ninjas without a weapon? We all stare intensely at the army of ninjas before one of them throws shuriken at Donnie. He uses his bo staff to deflect it and the throwing star gets stuck there. He growls slightly at them as the ninjas are running toward us. We all narrow our eyes as the fight has begun.

Raph catches a sword in his sai and throws it away, kicking the ninja backwards. He trips over a ninja over his shell and kicks one into another two others. He ducks from a swing and punches the ninja from his back. He then gets hit in the leg and stomach before being kicked into a few trash bags. One of them is about to go in for the final blow, but Mikey helps his brother out by kicking him away. He swings, hitting a ninja. Leo kicks a ninja while Raph is backing away from a ninja as he has his sword in his sais.

Donnie is clashing weapons with a ninja. He turns his body around and hits the ninja with his staff. I'm ducking from side to side as I'm dodging a long curved blade from one of the ninjas. I slide underneath him and spin, kicking him to the ground. I backflip as I sensed another ninja behind me and I land on his shoulders. Then I flip again, throwing the ninja into a wall. I give out a sigh of relief.

Leo is dealing with ninjas all around him and he kicks one into trash cans. He stands back to back with Raph and the turtle turns around, noticing a smile on Leo.

"Why are you so happy?" He wonders and I wanna know too. We're fighting skilled ninjas and he's smiling?

"It's just nice to be finally fighting people," Leo comments, grinning as they're dodging the weapons. "Instead of robots, or aliens, or weed-monsters."

He makes a good point. Those villains have just been crazy lately, and having normal people to fight is a nice stability for a change.

They kick the ninjas away from them as a new ninja reveals himself. He has red clothing and metal armor, with his face being covered. He punches Leo in the face, knocking him to the ground.

"Leo!" I yell and Raph gets kicked to Donnie.

"STOP!" I shout, pushing the ninja. He simply pushes me to the ground and he takes Donnie's staff from him, swinging it at the turtle. He goes down into some trash cans. Mikey reverts his nunchucks into a chain, throwing it at the ninja. He catches it and pulls Mikey towards him, the turtle looking at him in the eye.

"What are you?" Mikey gets out of his grip as the ninja pulls on his weapon. I help Leo up and he slices Mikey's chain, releasing the ninja's hold on it. We would continue the battle, but police sirens are nearby, meaning that the police are on their way. The ninjas stare at us and, mutually agreeing that it's over, leave the scene. Leo glances at Raph before we take off right before the police cars arrive.

* * *

"Their leader was crazy good," Leo is explaining what happened with Splinter in the kitchen. "By which I mean he was good and seemed a little crazy." Splinter just listens, stroking his beard. "Besides, he had all these guys with him. It-It wasn't a fair fight."

"What do you mean, 'fair fight?' " Splinter questions, having stopped stroking his beard.

"Leo, since when was a fight ever fair?" I tell him calmly.

"That guy pushed you and he knew that you didn't have an advantage over him," Leo remarks and I shake my head. I know I don't have a weapon, but that didn't mean I couldn't hold my own. "I mean, a fair fight. You know, where either side could win?"

"So a fair fight is a fight you could lose," Splinter states and I smirk at Leo, jerking a thumb at the master.

"Well, yes, but...well-well what-what I mean is-" Leo stammers and it's so cute...

"You don't want to assure your victory," Splinter interrupts.

"No, I do, but-" Leo says honestly and the rat mutant nods at me. I sweep kick Leo. "Ow!" I then jump on him, holding his wrists. "Hey!"

"Leo, stop talking," I tell him smugly and his eyes widen at my statement.

"Was that fair?" Splinter asks as he's standing behind me.

"No!" Leo exclaims and I hold in a laugh.

"Did she win?" Splinter questions with a smug smile and Leo thinks about it before he has a look of understanding.

"I see your point."

"Seek victory, not fairness," Splinter explains. Leo's silent before he closes his eyes.

"Hai sensei."

It's only then that we realize how close I am. My cheeks are beet red as he's staring into my eyes, probably realizing the situation too. I...was only doing it for a demonstration, but...his eyes are so mesmerizing, I could stare into them forever as I feel my heart pounding...

Splinter clears his throat and I stumble off of Leo, fanning my face. "I-Is it hot in here?" I stammer as Splinter holds out a hand to Leo, who looks equally embarrassed as I am. Our teacher chuckles at us before he walks away, leaving Leo to think about what he said. I literally have no idea what just happened...

I'm about to leave to water my face until Leo clears his throat, signaling me to stay. "Amy, uh...are you okay? I know how much you're progressing in your training, and...I didn't mean to call you out like that."

"Oh," I breathe out before smiling. "I'm fine...and it's okay. I know I don't have a weapon like you guys do yet, but I can handle it."

"Good," Leo smiles at me and I return the favor.

"Great..." I back away until I hit the wall. "Oh!" I turn around sheepishly. "Heh, exit's...over here," I point to it and step out. That was awkward, why was that awkward?

I decide to shrug it off, walking into the living area. Raph is doing push-ups using his sai, Mikey is reading a magazine while April is reading the newspaper, and Donnie is doing...something on his laptop. Something tells me he's doing more than just tech stuff.

"Whoa, that's rad," Mikey murmurs and I look closer at the title. He's reading Martial Pain, with Chris Bradford on the cover. I understand why he wants someone he can relate to, but isn't this a little too much? Chris is a martial artist, I'm pretty sure that he wouldn't want to be friends with a mutant turtle. "Oh, I wish me and Chris Bradford were friends!" He bites on the magazine, laughing and wiggling his legs like a fanboy. April puts down her paper.

"Mikey, you already have human friends," April reminds him, and he turns to her like he doesn't know what she's talking about. "Me and Amy!"

"April, you two don't count. We saved your lives, you have to like us," Mikey shrugs and I shake my head.

"Technically, you're also boys that I'm staying with, but whatever," I shrug slightly.

"Too bad there's no place for freaks to meet people where no one can see how hideous they are," Raph calls out, still doing push-ups.

"Wait, there is. The internet," April turns to the tallest turtle. "Donnie, can I see your laptop?"

"Uh, sure," Donnie quickly presses a button. "Just a sec." He smiles widely and hands it to April, sitting down nervously. I smirk knowingly. He was looking at a picture of April. I looked at his laptop a long time ago when he was in the bathroom once.

"Check it out, it's a site where you can make friends—with anybody online," April explains, Mikey immediately sliding over to her.

"Sweet!" He bumps April to take the laptop. He wiggles his fingers, waiting before he gasps, hearts in his eyes. "Whoa, Chris Bradford's on here! He'll be my first friend!" He presses a button and leans forward, waiting for something to happen. I glance at April and Donnie, cringing.

"Mikey, people don't always respond immed-" A beep interrupts April, shocking the four of us. "But sometimes they do." I find it a little weird. No one responds THAT quickly to a friend request, even if they're online. That wasn't even a minute, so I already know something shady is going on here. Mikey doesn't seem to care as he gasps in excitement.

"No way! Chris Bradford has accepted my friendship! I have a friend!" He hugs April, to Donnie's shock. "Thanks April!" He throws up the laptop.

"Where are you going? Hey!" Donnie jumps forward, catching his laptop.

"To hang out with my friend, Chris Bradford," Mikey walks away.

"This guy's famous. He probably has thousands of 'friends,' " April uses quotation marks at that last word.

"And how would you even find him?" I speak up. He could be anywhere, he's only here for a week!

"And guess who's number 5,286?" Mikey asks in response, ignoring my question.

"You?" April questions knowingly.

"Daniel Ramirez! And I'm right next to him," Mikey jerks a thumb to himself, winking. I don't even know who that is. "Later!" And with that, he's gone.

"Well, this oughta be interesting," April comments.

"Should we go after him?" Donnie asks.

"Eh, he's gotta learn somehow," Raph dismisses it and I roll my eyes.

"So, Amy," April starts off, "What's it like living with four mutant turtles?"

"Chaos," I deadpan, Raph laughing slightly.

"She's just sayin' that because Mikey kept trying to make her cook all of us pizza."

"He must be crazy if he thinks I would," I murmur, as that was a long 4 hours.

"It's weird having another girl around," Donnie speaks up, "But Amy does bring a feminine touch. She cleaned the entire bathroom before she even used it and now it smells like roses." He smiles slightly.

"Yeah, thanks for making my nose get attacked with that, by the way," Raph deadpans and I huff slightly.

"Shut up, it was either that or going to April's house just to get away from the smell. You're welcome."

* * *

"They must've been watching us from here," Leo states as we're standing on a building where we've found out where the ninjas came from. "The perfect place to stage an ambush." I look down to see the alley where we were attacked. Huh, they had a perfect view of us.

"It wasn't very fair, was it?" Donnie wonders and I remember what Splinter had said when Leo brought this up.

"It's not about fairness," Leo tells him, "It's about victory." I smile as he uses Splinter's advice to remind himself.

"Okay, I'm sorry," Donnie holds up his hands in defense.

"Don't mind him, he's just a little moody that I whooped his butt," I whisper, patting Donnie's arm. "Long story," I answer when he looks at me.

"And then-and then Chris Bradford put on his hakama," Mikey is telling Raph all about his first meeting with Chris Bradford. Raph places a hand on his head, Leo glancing at them. I still have a bad feeling about this. Chris attacked him, sure, but after that, he wasn't fazed at all? You think he would've taken longer to get used to Mikey. I did, but only because they saved me and I didn't care that they were turtles, and I still don't. "Man, that guy can rock a hakama!"

"Yeah, maybe he'll wear it again when he takes you to the prom," Raph says sarcastically, but Mikey doesn't catch on as he's still talking.

"And then after that, he-"

"Oh, enough! You've been going on about this for three hours," Raph complains.

"Ooo," Mikey leans towards his older brother. "Someone sounds jealous. You just can't admit that you were the R word." We all stare at him, not knowing what word he's referring to. "Rong?"

Both Leo and Donnie groan, facepalming. I pinch my nose with a sigh.

Raph scoffs in disbelief. "I'm not wrong."

"Oh yeah? If you don't wanna talk about my friend," Mikey backflips, putting his arms around Leo and Donnie. "I've got two other brothers and Amy who do."

"Actually, I'd rather talk about anything else," Leo removes Mikey's hand.

"Like the concept of the silent W, perhaps?" Donnie holds up a finger.

"Sorry, what did you say, Mikey?" I remove an earplug, and the others just stare at me. "What? I can read lips. I haven't listened to anything he's said for hours."

"Thanks for the heads up," Raph grumbles.

"Fine, I'll go talk to a guy who likes to talk about Chris Bradford more than anyone else: Chris Bradford," Mikey states and I roll my eyes as he pushes past us.

"I really don't wanna say this, but Mikey has gotten more annoying since he MET that guy," I tell the others.

"Believe me, you're not the only one," Donnie shakes his head.

"He is letting this get to his head a little," Leo rubs his chin.

* * *

Donnie and Leo look in awe while Raph hangs back at the tree while I'm staring at Mikey, who has returned from his playdate with Chris Bradford. He's showing us the move that Chris Bradford taught him. I'm still skeptical, but I have to admit, this move is pretty awesome.

"And then he kicks, twists, and sweeps the leg. Ha! The Death Dragon." Mikey finishes off.

"That was amazing!" Leo exclaims, chuckling.

"Yeah, it's devastatingly effective and complex," Donnie states.

"The sweep of the leg brings everything together," I smile at Mikey.

"And yet even Mikey could learn it," Raph comments.

"Thank you...hey!"

I let out a laugh and Donnie's laptop beeps. "It's Rad-Brad! That's my little name for him." I roll my eyes as he sends out a message. "He wants to get together for a little B-ball. Can't wait to find out what the B stands for!" He licks his finger and sends out his reply.

"It means basketball," I hold up a finger and he stands up, ignoring me.

"You're going now?" Leo wonders.

"Sorry dudes and dudette, human friend stuff," Mikey shrugs, smiling. "You know how it is," He leaves but then comes back. "Oh, wait. No, you don't."

"I'm standing right here," I call out and he laughs sheepishly, walking away permanently.

* * *

Leo is trying to learn the Death Dragon, going in for a kick. He sweeps his leg, Raph jumping over him. Donnie and I are just watching them.

"Not quite!"

"Wait, I think I got it," Leo holds out a hand, smiling. Splinter walks into the room as Leo does the move.

"Where did you learn that?!" Splinter demands as I turn around. He looks angry.

"Mikey learned it, from his new friend," Leo explains as he helps Raph up.

"The man who taught him that kata is no friend! It comes from the Shredder."

"Shredder?" Donnie asks in shock as we look at each other. As in, the Shredder who killed Splinter's entire family? The one who betrayed him and tried to destroy him? That Shredder?

"You mean Bradford is one of his students?" Leo wonders.

"How is that even possible?" I ask.

"He must be," Splinter says, sure of himself.

"So Bradford's just pretending to be Mikey's friend to get to you," Leo figures out, pointing to Splinter. Raph sighs in relief, holding his head.

"Oh, what a relief. Everything makes sense again." He then pauses as he thinks. If Mikey is meeting up with him right now, then... "Mikey's in trouble!"

"We gotta help him!" I declare, only to get stares from the turtles. "What?" I ask in confusion.

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to come," Leo states, shifting around.

"Why? I wanna help save Mikey," I pout in slight anger. He was my friend, and I wanted to teach Chris Bradford a lesson for playing Mikey's feelings like this.

"He's a skilled ninja," Raph points out slowly, "And you've only been training for a couple of weeks."

"So? I don't need to be skilled to sneak in like you do," I cross my arms.

"We just want to make sure that you're safe," Donnie tells me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"No, Amelia goes," Splinter orders and I grin in victory. "She will have practice in her stealth training. Now go save Michelangelo."

"Ha," I brag to the other turtles, walking past them. Raph huffs as they follow me.

* * *

Raph slides down a ladder to a water tower before leaping off and landing on a rooftop. Leo lands near him, sprinting over to Raph as he's leaning against the window. I jump over from the last rooftop, sliding down the window and sneaking over to them. The two brothers wiggle their fingers together. I managed to find the address online. It was a quick search off his profile page. Donnie slides, landing next to me while chewing a piece of gum. He pops a bubble and removes it from his mouth.

He holds out a device that has a pencil and a needle. He sticks the gum on the pencil and presses it against the window, making a circle. He punches it and pulls it out, reaching downwards.

We peek inside to see ninjas as I open the window. Using ropes, we glide down and take them out.

"Dudes, that was sporadic!" Mikey exclaims and we all shush him as Donnie facepalms.

"That's not what that means!" He whispers, Leo cutting Mikey free with a small knife. He pats his little brother on the head for his safety.

We run onto the rooftops, Leo leaping off the building. The rest of us follow and Leo opens the manhole cover. I climb down first, my feet landing in the water. I stick out my tongue in disgust. While I haven't been living with them for long, I still hate smelling like sewer water. We make sure we're far away from the lair. It's obvious what those idiots are planning: They kidnapped Mikey so we'd lead them back home and they could ambush us. So we decided to do something else.

As soon as we hear the manhole cover opening, we hide out of sight, hearing them land in the water. As the Foot soldiers pass us, Raph takes one from a tunnel, Donnie and Leo doing the same. I capture one from the ceiling using rope. Bradford stops his friend as he realizes that there are less soldiers than they arrived with. They turn around to a tunnel that has running water and pipes. Bradford is looking around as the last two Foot soldiers are snatched. Bradford's Brazilian friend lights up a torch, showing all of the captured soldiers hanging from the ceiling.

"Show your faces!" He demands, Leo and Raph emerging from the water slowly. Donnie and Mikey appear from the shadows. "They've trapped us!" He exclaims and I jump down from the pipes above, landing in front of them. The Brazilian wolf-whistles at me and I roll my eyes.

"Take 'em down!" They split up, Bradford going for Leo and Raph. He kicks both turtles back onto the ground. Donnie is fighting off the man's legs, swinging under them, but he leaps over the turtle, grabbing his neck with his legs. He flips off Donnie, who knocks into Mikey, landing on his hands and throwing Donnie into Mikey again.

I run up to the man, but he flips his legs around, making me fall onto the ground on my back. "I guess you've really fallen for me," He smirks and I groan at not only the slight pain, but at his ridiculous pun. Donnie and Mikey look up as he smugly slides his thumb over his lips. The three of us glance at Raph as he's knocked back by Bradford. Leo runs up to him from behind and jumps, only for Bradford to grab his swords and kick him into Raph. Donnie snaps his fingers and Raph gives a thumbs up. I look at them in confusion and Leo gives me a signal to follow Mikey and Donnie. We continue to attack, leading them to the water. Suddenly, we've switched over to Bradford.

He punches a pipe, which Mikey jumps over. He grabs Bradford by the arm using his nunchucks, Donnie swinging his staff back and forth. He falls onto his knees and I punch him in the face. Leo swings his swords at the Brazilian man, Raph tripping him. Leo spins and kicks him further to the entrance. Mikey spins his nunchucks towards Bradford, who backs away.

The two men are joined back together. "They knew we were following them," Bradford realizes.

"That's right," Mikey confirms, clenching his fists. Bradford goes in for a punch, but Mikey blocks it. He blocks another attack and brings Bradford's arm down. He grabs the other one, punching and kicking Bradford. Mikey then palms him in the face and punches him in the stomach. Mikey grabs his head and knees it before he does the Death Dragon. "Sweep the leg!" Bradford crashes into his friend and Mikey looks at Leo and Donnie.

"Hit it!"

They spin the wheel and sewage comes in, spraying the two and they are swept away into the tunnels.

"Well, that didn't seem very fair," Raph grins knowingly.

"No it wasn't," Leo comments, walking up to us. We all chuckle, remembering what he and Splinter said before.

"High-three!" Mikey holds up his hand. "You too, dudette."

"Me?" I ask in confusion.

"Well, you are a ninja," Donnie holds up a finger. "In training."

"A good one," Raph admits, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, you're our friend," Leo smiles at me, "And-"

"If you stop, I'll do it," I chuckle and I join in on the high-three.

* * *

We've returned back to the lair with pizza in tow for our win, Splinter stroking his beard. Everyone except Mikey takes a slice, which is odd. Donnie looks up at Splinter.

"Um, sensei, aren't you hungry?"

Splinter stops and turns to us. "I fear we are celebrating too soon," He voices his concern.

"Too soon?" Raph asks I disbelief, "The bad guys were swept away in a river of raw sewage. By my watch, that makes it the perfect time."

"Shredder knows I'm alive. And worse, he knows about all of you," Splinter explains, pointing to all of us. Shredder's cronies couldn't keep their mouth shut about me, I guess. "It's my worst nightmare come true."

"So it's not over?" Leo asks in worry.

"No..." Splinter shakes his head, "It's just beginning." We all contemplate what just said, Leo placing a hand on his cheek. If Shredder knows about me, what would he do? Splinter's already explained how dangerous he is...

Raph looks up and sees Mikey sulking at Donnie's computer. The two of us walk over to him, to see if he's okay. I know how much he wanted someone to understand him, but to find out that he's a bad guy...

"How you doing, Mikey?" Raph sits next to him.

"This was all my fault," Mikey answers in lament. "I should've never thought I could be friends with a human." I huff slightly as I flare up my eyebrows in annoyance.

"Stop referring to humans like I'm not here," I mutter, crossing my arms.

"Eh, don't be so hard on yourself," Raph tells him.

"So it's not my fault?" Mikey asks hopefully.

"Of course it's your fault," Raph answers bluntly, Mikey placing his hand on his cheek with a sigh. I'm sorry, but how is this helping? Raph looks away and closes his eyes. "If you tell the others," He starts off, "I'll beat the green off you, and I'm saying that literally," He points at me and I look down at my green colors. "But..." Raph places his hand on Mikey's shoulder. "You're an awesome guy."

"Bradford didn't think so," Mikey pouts.

"Psh," I wave it off, "Dude's not human if he can't see what a great friend you can be," I pat his head. "He's wrong about you, Mikey."

"Amy's right, you deserve way better friends than him," Raph crosses his arms.

"You know what?" Mikey thinks about what we said. "You're right. Thanks guys."

"Anytime," Raph pats him on the head. Mikey looks at Bradford's profile page and unfriends him.

"Unfriend. Ha ha! Revenge!" He grins, clenching his fists. Not the method I would use, but hey, having less friends is revenge a dish served cold only by Mikey.

"Wanna make some cookies?" I offer with a smile.

"Aw yeah! Chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, sugar," He says in excitement, leading me to the kitchen. I giggle at him. Cookies always made everything better. And if it wasn't that, it was either ice cream or pizza in the turtles' case. If anybody didn't believe sweets make everything better, they have no soul!


	5. I Think His Name is Baxter Stockman

**Angel: Please don't ask when the next chapter is. I'm working on episode 7 as we speak. I'm sure you can all be patient and keep yourselves busy rather than asking me when I'll update this story.**

I'm sitting in a chair, listening to music while reading a magazine and eating a bowl of donuts on top of a tray. Splinter is taking time alone by meditating. And what were my friends doing during this time?

Getting into trouble. Or, to be more accurate, Mikey was getting them into trouble. "Guys, guys, get in your spot!"

"Alright, Mikey, but this is the last time!"

"But don't flip me this time."

"Ate too much cheese."

The living room is a mess with pizza boxes everywhere. The three turtles are kneeling on the ground while they have set up a wooden ramp. Mikey is on top of it with his skateboard. I roll my eyes at the mess. Two hours of cleaning up, and this is what I get in return...

"And now the kid goes for the world record!" Mikey announces, tilting up his skateboard. "He will attempt to jump three mutant turtles!"

"I can't believe he talked us into us," Raph grumbles, looking up at his brother. Mikey put on the puppy eyes and begged them until they caved in. I lift my earbud away, looking at him.

"I can't believe you let him talk you into it," I snort and as a result, I get three glares. I whistle innocently, placing my earbud back in. He tried to get me too, but I shut myself in my room so he wouldn't get to me. I stashed candy in there so I wouldn't starve and don't ask me what I did for a bathroom. He gave up after 4 hours.

"Booyakasha!" Mikey skates down the ramp, but Splinter comes in suddenly.

"What is going on in here?"

"Sensei!" The three turtles stand up in alarm. Since Mikey hasn't jumped yet, he crashes right into the three, and they're all in a dog pile on the ground as Splinter looms over them, and he looks super duper maaaaaaaaaaaaaaad. Like, Raph mad.

"How many times have I told you not to skateboard in the lair?" He scolds.

"None, Sensei," Mikey answers.

"I shouldn't have to tell you!" Splinter says and they all stand up.

"You're right Sensei," Leo speaks for them, all of the other turtles glaring at Mikey like it's his fault. And to be fair, it kinda was, but they agreed to it in the first place. "We definitely should have known better and we deserve to be punished." They bow their heads, probably expecting to be let off easy. Judging by the rat's face, I'm betting something major. "Eh, some." Splinter strokes his beard as he approaches the leader. He looks at them before looking up.

"Amelia."

I shout in surprise, falling back in my chair. I can hear the turtles snickering. It's not my fault I can read lips...

"Y-Yes, Sensei?" I stammer, standing up. I was allowed to call him that a while ago since I am technically teaching underneath him. My training was going great, I'm making so much progress, which is better than I expected. Splinter said soon enough, I'd get a weapon!

"I would like you to choose a suitable punishment for my sons," He states and I sweat a little, glancing at the turtles and then at him. I'm honored, but I don't want that kind of pressure on me. The turtles might end up hating me if I pick wrong! Wait, is this a trap?

"Um...w-well...they should clean up the mess since I cleaned last night?" I give them a look and they all smile in relief. I thought it was suitable since I worked hard to make the place look nice...Splinter doesn't seem to agree with me by the look of his face and him crossing his arms. I glance at the other turtles for help, but they look away innocently, meaning they weren't going to help me. It's THEIR father, why don't they pitch in and leave me in the dust?!

"And, um, think about what they did?" I add nervously, because I can't tell if he's going to punish me too because of my answers. I didn't do anything, so I might be safe. The turtles all agree with my tame punishment.

"Yeah."

"Sounds about right."

"We were wrong."

"Wouldn't want to do too much."

"No worries."

I narrow my eyes in annoyance that I had to be singled out like this. Unfair, and I deserve justice. Oh ho, when I come up with a plan...

"What about you four being grounded for a week?" Splinter suggests and I stop in surprise. Even I have to admit, a week is excessive. Four days is probably best. Not even my mother would ground me for a week, and I once dyed her hair purple when I was 5.

Leo chuckles nervously, "Oh, I'm not sure that's-"

"I'm cool with the thinking."

"Really, that's not necessary."

"Maybe next time."

"I'm sure Amy here can come up with a more suitable punishment," Leo puts an arm around me and I feel my face heat up. Calm down, Amy, calm down.

"You're grounded for a week!" Splinter declares and the four all groan. The ramp falls from the right side and crashes, the four cringing at another mess they'd have to clean. I knew it was a trap...

Meanwhile, I'll be planning my revenge. No way was I gonna let them do that to me Scot free. It's just not in my nature and it's justifiable, so don't judge me!

* * *

Raph is pacing around while Mikey and Leo are sitting at the couch. Mikey is looking at a magazine in boredom while I am watching TV on my phone. Raph groans in boredom, growling in frustration.

"This bites!" He suddenly speaks and I pause my show, looking up. "I can't believe we're stuck down here for a whole week!"

"No fair you don't get grounded," Mikey pouts at me.

"I told you I didn't want to get in trouble. Note to you, next time don't cave in," I point to Leo and Raph, going back to my show.

"I hate you right now," Raph grumbles in my direction.

"You're still my friend too," I wink at him. He can go ahead and complain all he wants, but at least I can go out whenever I want without any problem. I notice Raph is scratching himself and I smirk. Phase 1 of my plan is in motion.

"Guys, guys!" Donnie runs up to us from his lab. "You wanna see what I made?" He looks excited, which probably means he invented something new. He scratches his arm absentmindedly and I chuckle at him. Oh, if they only knew...

"This is how bored I am," Raph gestures to Donnie. "Yes Donnie, I do."

Donnie doesn't seem to notice how Raph is so frustrated at being grounded that he wants to hear the turtle and his nerd language. And even if he did, I don't think he would care regardless. "Okay, okay, okay! Remember the other day I was scrounging around in that military junkyard?"

"No," The other turtles deny.

"Yes." The three turtles stare at me and I shrug. "What? He woke me up and I asked him where he was going. He came back with some tech stuff. End of story." Sometimes Donnie liked to go to junkyards for new parts at night. I can't tell you how much stuff he's found just in my time being here.

"Well, I found an incredibly advanced A.I. microchip made from, get this, self-assembled chain-linked copolymers!" Donnie exclaims excitedly, grinning so wide I can see his gap tooth.

"That's my favorite kind of copolymer!" Mikey yells, smiling as he scratches his shell, and I turn to Leo.

"I can't think of a world where Mikey actually knows what that is," I whisper and he lets out a laugh. I smile as I like his laugh, it was something like a melody. Leo scratches the top of his head. Kinda weird that Donnie just randomly found this microchip in a junkyard, what competent scientist would even throw that away? I would know, I'm the daughter of two of them.

"Mine too!" Donnie agrees, "And I used it to make this," He shows a white circular pod that glows blue. "The most advanced music player in the world!" We all gather around in awe.

"Whoa." I never thought Donnie would do that, that's pretty cool.

"So who wants to try it?" Mikey immediately raises his hand.

"I do! Toss me the T-Pod!" The...what?

"The T-Pod?" Donnie asks in confusion.

"Turtle, Pod. T-Pod," Mikey shrugs like it was nothing new. So nothing gets past Mikey when it comes to names. Next thing you know, he'll be naming his pizza. He chuckles at his cleverness. "I am so good at naming stuff." He holds out his hand. Personally, I think Mikey's just trying to show his creativity when it comes to naming stuff. Only he had that kind of dedication and even when his brothers sometimes don't understand, he still does it anyway without a care. Good for you, Mikey. Keep being you.

But not for long.

Donnie scratches his cheek, looking annoyed as he hands over the T-Pod. Mikey plugs in the earbuds, the rest of us staring.

"You're really gonna plug an advanced piece of military technology directly into Mikey's head?" Raph asks skeptically as he points to his forehead. "What if it melts his brain?"

"It won't," Donnie waves him off with a grin. "And even if it did, who'd know the difference?"

"I would," I speak up and they stare at me. "What? I'm just sayin'."

Mikey sticks out his tongue and presses play. As soon as he does, he starts screaming.

"What? What's wrong?" Donnie asks in panic, as something could be wrong with the T-Pod.

"It's polka!" Mikey cries out. "Make it stop, make it stop!" Donnie simply walks over to him and presses skip without a word. "Thanks." His eyes widen and he closes his eyes with a grin. He starts dancing to the beat, smiling happily as we all stare. And all the while, Mikey is scratching himself.

"That's it, I gotta get out of here," Raph declares, not wanting to see any more of this as he heads for the lair entrance.

"Where are you going?" Leo demands, walking up to him. "We're grounded."

"I don't care," Raph retorts, "I gotta do something or I'm gonna go nuts!"

"Too late," I glance at Mikey still dancing. Raph stomps his foot on his skateboard, which flips over in the air. He catches it in his hand.

"Let's find a skate spot." I noticed a while ago that they like to skateboard. Me, I don't really do it because I'm not a skateboarding person. I've never even touched one.

"Skate spot?" Mikey yells over his music. "I'm totally in!"

"But what's Splinter gonna say?" Leo tries to appeal to Raph. If there is one thing that's going to appeal to Raphael Hamato, it's a good fight, which is unlikely as tonight's peaceful. We haven't heard any reports of those ninjas or the Kraang.

"I don't know what's going on, because they snuck out while I was asleep," Raph says in a Splinter impression, and I can't help but laugh, putting a fist to my mouth. It doesn't sound exactly like the rat I know, but it was still funny.

"Huh," Leo scoffs, crossing his arms. "Real mature. But I'm your leader. And as your leader, I say nobody's going."

"You might be their leader," I gesture to the turtles, "But you're not my leader, so I'm gonna go out and have fun," I grab my purse from the ground and Leo glowers at me, silently telling me I wasn't helping. I shouldn't be restricted just because they're grounded.

"Well, as your followers, we're going anyway," Raph states as Donnie and Mikey join him. "If SHE can go out, then I don't see why we can't," He gestures to me.

"Well, as your leader..." Leo tries to think of something to say. "I am going with you. To lead you. Away from bad stuff," Leo cringes and I laugh at his attempt to sound like a leader. An actual leader wouldn't say that, not even Captain Ryan...but he makes me laugh, so he's not too bad...

Mikey screams again, kneeling on the ground.

"What's wrong?" Leo asks in concern as all the turtles scratch themselves.

"It's back to polka! We've got to get some more tunes on this," Mikey complains, pouting.

"But first, why the heck are we so itchy?! I feel like there's something crawling inside my shell," Raph finally asks, looking down at his plastron.

"So it's not just you? I thought I was the only one," Donnie scratches his neck, as Mikey rubs the back of his shell on the ground, uncomfortable.

"I don't think we're sick..." Leo murmurs and I chuckle.

"That's because you're not." They all look up at me for an explanation. "You see, I threw itching power all over you when you weren't looking." Their eyes all widen in realization and horror. "Serves you right for leaving me with Splinter. See you later...if you even get that far," I grin as I jump over the turnstiles, the turtles shouting after me.

"NOT COOL, DUDETTE!"

"AH, IT BURNS!"

"WHEN WE GET UP THERE...!"

"MAKE IT STOP, MAKE IT STOP!"

Ah, I feel better already. Of course I would apologize to them later, but for now, I'll enjoy my pride while I can.

* * *

We've hit the rooftops, all the turtles having their skateboards on their shells. I don't have one, so I would just be watching. I didn't mind it, I'd rather not make a fool out of myself. Leo leaps to the next building, rolling onto the roof before he continues sprinting. He then jumps up a wall and lands onto the next rooftop. Mikey skates after us while listening to his new T-Pod.

He jumps up with his skateboard and moves around, flipping the skateboard and himself in the air before he jumps again, sticking his tongue out. He backflips and jumps, landing on his skateboard and skidding along a roof. He does a few more flips, skating along the edge of the building. "Hey Donnie, thanks for all the new songs!" He calls out.

"Wait, what new songs?" Donnie asks in confusion, meaning that he didn't add new songs. When would he have the time, anyway?

"Keep it down, you guys!" Leo warns him, as anyone could hear them. Donnie jumps up to Mikey, his hands landing on his shoulders so he can have a better look.

"What the? It's got thousands of songs and it keeps downloading new ones every second!" Donnie says in surprise. It sounds like he didn't do it himself.

"So?" Raph asks as he and I run next to them.

"So, I didn't program it to do that," Donnie explains.

"So then how did he get new songs if you didn't do it yourself?" I wonder and he jumps off Mikey, landing next to me while we still run.

"It's re-configuring itself somehow," Donnie thinks and then gasps in realization. "It's that chip!"

"It must be more powerful than you think," I glance at the T-Pod. "After all, you did say it was incredibly advanced. So advanced that it could have all this power."

"You're right," Donnie murmurs to himself.

"Whatever it is, it's awesome!" Mikey yells, leaping into the air.

"Guys!" Leo hisses at us. "We're ninjas, remember? Or at least, most of us," He glances at me, "Either way, we move swiftly, and here's the important part, silently." As soon as he says that, he falls off a roof. We come to a stop as he crashes into a window. I can hear him trying to move around down there. "Beehive!" My eyes widen. He must've landed into a greenhouse. The next time we see him, he's falling out of the greenhouse and some crashes. He finally lands in the trash in an alley, his eyes rolling around as some car alarms go off. I gasp, covering my mouth in shock. I really hope he's okay, that was a nasty fall...not only to his body, but to his pride. As far as I know, he's the most skilled out of all of us...

"That wasn't very silent, Leo," Raph calls out under all the noise. I jump down the fire escape swiftly, landing in front of Leo.

"Are you okay?" I ask in concern and his eyes stop rolling as he looks up at me. I can tell that he wants to say something, but he can't for some reason. I check over him with my eyes and smile as I see no injuries on him. I offer him my hand and he takes it, standing up with my help.

"I-I'm fine..." He stammers after a few seconds, rubbing his neck. He looks down and I follow his gaze to see I'm still holding his hand.

My face heats up like fire as I quickly remove my hand. "Glad to hear that, let's go!" I say quickly, jumping up the wall and not bothering to wait for him to say anything. What the heck was that all about?

* * *

One by one, we land on a building and see a structure a few feet away. "Check that out," Raph bends down to his knees as he examines it.

"Let's grind it!" Mikey says in excitement and Donnie sees something.

"Who the heck is that guy?"

I follow his gaze to see a man wearing robotic armor and a pink sweater. Huh...I wonder why he's wearing that. Looks like a battle suit or something like that.

"I don't know," Raph replies, "But he needs a beat down."

"Hold on, Raph," Leo speaks up, "We don't know that he's gonna do anything wrong. He-He could be on his way to...church."

I facepalm at his reasoning. That sounded ridiculous...he's totally gonna do something, that suit's got bad guy written all over it.

"Wearing powered battle armor?" Raph asks in disbelief, gesturing to the man. "What kind of church is that?"

"A really awesome one," Mikey speaks up, Leo facepalming while Raph shakes his head.

"Look, it's my call. I decide who gets a beat down." The man walks up to the back entrance of a building and uses his lasers to try and break in. "That guy needs a beat down."

We jump off the building and the laser shorts out for the man. "Are you kidding me?!" He exclaims in annoyance, trying to make it work. "Awww, come on." He kicks the door, trying to pull it open. We land behind him and watch him trying to make a name for himself.

"It's just kind of sad," Donnie comments, and I'm inclined to agree with him. I say inclined because I think it's pathetic.

"Yeah, I don't know if we should pound him or buy him an ice cream cone," Mikey comments, feeling a little bad.

"Ice cream does make everything better," I agree with him. Now I want an ice cream sundae.

Leo pulls out his swords. "Halt, villain!" Wow...that sounds like something Captain Ryan would say. I wonder...nah, probably a coincidence. The man turns around in confusion at Leo's declaration like he hasn't heard it before.

" 'Halt, villain?' When did we start talking like that?" Raph demands.

"We're heroes. T-That's how heroes talk," Leo stammers nervously. I wouldn't call ourselves heroes, per say. So far, we've only stopped a few enemies. I'd say amateur heroes at best.

"You will feel the fury of my powered battle-" He looks closer at us. "Holy cow! You guys are turtles!" He had like 15 seconds to look at them, and he's now noticing that they're turtles?

"Hi, not a turtle," I wave my hand.

"That's right," Leo stands up heroically. "We're the turtles of justice!" I gasp in awe at his catchphrases. They're so inspiring...!

"Wow. I mean, just...wow," Raph comments at the fact that Leo is saying all this stuff. The man charges at us and the turtles pull out their weapons, leaping in to fight.

"WAIT!" Mikey calls out and they all stop in their tracks, even the man for some reason. Mikey takes off his earbuds, humming to himself as he wraps the earbuds around the T-Pod. He tucks it into his belt and he spins one of his nunchucks. "Okay."

They stopped for that? I hold in a laugh as he jumps, hitting his nunchuck against the man's head. Mikey jumps off a trashcan as Donnie skates by and leaps onto the man's shoulders. He dismantles one of the wires and lands on his skateboard. Raph skates up to him and slices off the wires to the shoulder pad. Leo slides underneath the man using his skateboard and slices off the leg armor. He throws one of his swords at me and I catch it. He skates over to me and I jump on behind him. He skates over and I slice the armor for his arms clean off. He walks backwards and breaks a window with his elbow, causing the security alarm to go off.

Leo gasps as the alarm alerts the police if it goes on for too long. The turtles and I start to panic, Raph gesturing to the dumpster, which he opened. If we do that, then maybe we could just forget this ever happened. We nod slowly and we all grab him, holding him up in the air.

"No, no, no!" He protests as we throw him inside. "You're not the first to ever throw me in the trash, but I swear that you will be the las-" Raph slams the door shut and as soon as he does, the police are getting closer. I can hear their sirens as their lights shine on the alley.

"Oh snap!"

"Let's go!"

"The popo!"

We climb up a fire escape and get away just before the car arrives. When we're far away from them, the turtles skate to the nearest manhole, doing some jumps along the way and hollering. We come to a stop in front of a manhole cover and Leo opens it.

"You go first," He tells me gently as he pulls me off his skateboard.

"Thank you," I smile up at him and jump down the entry. Leo follows soon after, then Raph, then Mikey and Donnie. Donnie closes up the manhole and we swim back into the lair by their pool. Leo comes to his feet as I swim over to the edge.

"Alright! We made it home," Raph cheers, Leo shushing him.

"It's 2 AM!" Leo whisper yells at how long we've been out, helping me to my feet.

"And Splinter's still asleep. This is epic," Mikey whispers in excitement as Leo walks over to the couch. He pulls out a towel out of nowhere and hands it to me.

"It's not epic!" Leo argues back as I drape the towel over my body. "It was a really bad idea, Amy needs her sleep." I look at him in awe at his concern. Well...a few hours wouldn't be that bad...but I wouldn't have enough energy. Maybe that's why he's so worried.

"No it wasn't," Raph tells him, gesturing to me. "She's fine," He flips and lands on the couch. "We got out there and stopped a sleazeball. So what's the problem?" He shrugs it off while Leo has his hands on his hips, not amused.

"Stop talking about me like I'm not even here!" I pout and Raph laughs in response.

* * *

 **~Leo~**

It's training time, but we weren't really training because we're so tired. Amy isn't with us this morning, which worries me. She wasn't in her room when we arrived here and we didn't have time to search. I didn't want her to get in trouble with Splinter for her missing training. Raph is rolling around on the floor. I'm groaning while trying to move, but I can't as I yawn, falling onto the ground. I'm not usually like this during training, but my lack of sleep isn't going to help me focus at all. I try to do a handstand.

"Knees higher, Leonardo!" Splinter orders, but I fall on my head.

"Extend, Michelangelo!" Mikey jumps on the floor.

"Raphael, you call that a Koho Tenkai? Because I do not!" Raph rolls right past me. Donnie jumps, but he lands on his face. "Ya me!" Splinter jumps to his feet and we all bend down on one knee. He looks at us suspiciously.

"Hmm. Is there something you want to tell me? Such as why Amelia is missing her training?!"

"Something we wanna tell you? Nope," Mikey answers.

"U-Uh, Amy's...hanging out with April! Girls need their girl time. Shopping, hair, make-up," I stammer nervously. That was the best explanation I could come up with...I really don't know much about that stuff, Amy only mentioned the surface of it to me.

"You all seem tired."

Our eyes all widen as he might figure out that we left the lair. "We're not!" I deny, waving it off.

"Wide awake!" Donnie exclaims with a big smile.

"Fresh as daisies!" Raph smiles widely, but Mikey yawns, planting himself onto the ground.

"So you would not object to a little Randori?" Splinter holds up a wooden sword and we all glance at each other, Mikey gulping. He smacks us all with the sword and we're lying down on the ground in pain. "I hope you have learned, turtles, that truth isn't the only thing that hurts. And that Amelia will learn the same if she misses her training."

* * *

When we walk into the living room, Donnie stops us. He points over to the couch where there's a lump laying down on it. The lump is Amy as she's sleeping on the couch, snoring slightly. Mikey covers his mouth as he tries not to laugh, Donnie elbowing him.

"Mikey, stop, she's just as tired as all of us," Donnie yawns.

"But she's like a bear," Mikey says sheepishly.

"No wonder why we couldn't find her," Raph snorts and I roll my eyes silently as they go off to take a nap. Honestly, I thought she sounded a little...adorable. Like a panda bear. She must be shivering, I have to fix that...

I grab a blanket from my room and drape it over her. She smiles as she snuggles into the warmth. I smile down at her, patting her on the head as I take in her appearance. Her skin looks so soft, like her hair...I look around to make sure no one can see me before I run my fingers through it. I can't help it, it's like silk.

My cheeks heat up as I realize what I'm doing and I back away. Heh...touching a girl's hair while she's sleeping is not like me at all. I couldn't help myself, Amy...just does that to me. Every time I meditate, her face appears in my mind. I needed to figure this out...

 **~Amy~**

I can hear quiet space noises as I sit up, yawning and stretching my arms. "Morning Sleeping Beauty," Raph murmurs to me while he's sitting on a bean bag chair and reading his magazine, not even paying attention to the TV at all. Curious, I turn over to see Leo sitting in front of the TV, watching...Space Heroes?!

"Captain Ryan!" Crankshaw is speaking to the captain while they're on a planet. I think this is the one where they were going through a revolution and they couldn't figure out how to stop it. "The rebellion is growing! We have to get off this planet!"

"No!" Captain Ryan denies.

"But Captain-" He, of course, gets slapped.

"I said no! We may have started this rebellion by accident," While Captain Ryan is talking, Leo is repeating his words with the exact same posture, "But by the rings of Nebulon, we are going to finish it on purpose!"

"Aye, sir!"

"Seen this enough times there, chief?" Raph calls out as my eyes are sparkling.

"Am I really seeing this...?" I murmur happily, "You like Space Heroes?!" Finally, someone I can relate to!

Raph drops his magazine in shock as Leo whips around to me, eyes shining in delight. "You're...You're a Space Heroes fan?!"

"This is crazy," Raph murmurs in disbelief, looking away as I join Leo on the floor.

"I have all the rare action figures," I smile at him and he gasps in delight.

"What?! How!"

"Comic cons," I wink at him, "They're gold mines."

"Tell me I'm not seeing this!" Raph yells in frustration and we shush him.

"This is the best part!" Leo scolds him.

"Don't ruin it," I glare at Raph and he holds his hands up in defense. Captain Ryan is about to finish off the rebellion...but then the news interrupts the big moment.

"We interrupt this program to bring you breaking news." We both groan at the interruption before smiling at each other. I didn't care about the interruption anymore, because now I have someone who loves Space Heroes and understands it like I do. To me, that's worth it. "We've received shocking footage of an assault on the TCRI office complex in Brooklyn."

We both cringe as Raph looks up. Remember that guy we fought last night? Yeah, turns out he somehow upgraded his armor so that it's bigger. He's now terrorizing the employees at TCRI, which sounds familiar to me, but I can't put my finger on it...The man knocks over a desk.

"At last I will have my revenge!" He declares, his voice sounding robotic.

"Who-Who are you?" An employee stammers in fear.

"You'll never know. I'm the thing that haunts your nightmares!" I'm already bored by his dialogue. "I'm the nameless shadow who-"

"Baxter?" The employee asks.

"No!" 'Baxter' denies like he wanted to be anonymous. If he really didn't want people to know who he is, he should've made more effort to pull that off. Ever heard of a mask, dude? Or face paint, even? No wonder why he couldn't break into that building, it's because he's so uncreative and lame.

"Baxter Stockman?"

"No!" Baxter denies, but why is he so quick to insist that he isn't if he knew people would recognize him? Seriously! What kind of villain is he if he doesn't take precaution about his plans? The only thing he has going for him is that he upgraded his armor, but even with that, he's still mediocre. He doesn't even come close to Shredder for his stupidity. If I wasn't on the turtles' side, I'd be giving this guy some help. And that is a scary thought because he's that incompetent to make me want to do that, much less even think about it.

"Hey, everybody! It's Baxter Stockman!"

"I think his name is Baxter Stockman," Raph crosses his arms. Donnie and Mikey have joined us.

"Is this because I fired you?" A deep voice off-screen asks.

"That copy machine was already broken when I-I mean, I don't know what you're talking about!" Suuuure you don't. That's all on you, man. But all of us are wondering about something that shouldn't have been possible.

"How did he upgrade his armor so fast?" Leo murmurs and the camera zooms in on something tiny. Other people wouldn't care about it, but considering what it can do...Our eyes widen and we glance at Mikey.

"He has the T-Pod?!" Donnie exclaims to Mikey, since he had it last.

"Oh, um, I might've dropped that during the fight," Mikey replies nervously.

"You dropped it during the fight?" Donnie leans closer in anger, the other two turtles just watching. "Nice going, Mikey!"

"It's your fault!" Mikey retorts back.

"How is it my fault?" Donnie asks in disbelief.

"You know I can't be trusted with nice things!" Mikey argues, Donnie giving him a death glare.

"Donnie," I sigh, placing a hand on his shoulder. "No offense, but if you knew that, you should've taken it from him earlier."

"Right," Donnie facepalms.

"So the AI chip is upgrading his armor the same way it upgraded the T-Pod?" Leo wonders, thinking to himself.

"And if it keeps going, there's no telling how powerful he'll get," Donnie explains in worry. Oh man, what have we done?

"This has gone way too far. We have to tell Splinter about this," Leo states seriously.

"What, that we turned some nutjob into a super villain?" Raph asks skeptically. "Do you know what he'll do to us for that? I mean, he pounded us into the ground just for being sleepy! And don't forget that he got to Amy here by making her do backflips for an hour!"

"My legs still feel like jelly, no joke," I comment. It was torture...

"Look, we beat Stockman once, we can beat him again," Donnie speaks up, "We track him down, grab the T-Pod, and get back here before Splinter knows anything." It all sounds so simple, but I can tell just how far downhill this'll turn out...he was already suspicious just because they were tired and I was asleep.

"If my opinion counts for anything, Donnie's right," Mikey calls out as he's reading a comic book upside down where Raph was sitting.

"Hey, thanks Mikey," Donnie puts on a big smile before clenching his fists with a glare. "But it doesn't."

"Didn't think so," Mikey comments sheepishly.

* * *

We've managed to find Stockman, as we followed him. We backflip past the window, coming to a stop. Honestly, he wasn't that hard to track down. Who else was gonna wear upgraded battle armor at night? He's talking to himself, trying to figure out names for himself.

"I'm not Baxter Stockman. I am the Baxman! No, no, I am the Suitinator! Aw, that's terrible! Captain Punch-you-hard! Why is this so difficult?" Maybe because he's already lame enough that he doesn't need a cool super villain name.

We approach him from five sides from the shadows. "I kinda liked the Suitinator," Mikey comments and I roll my eyes.

"We're not calling him that," I call out.

"You guys again?" Stockman exclaims as he sees us.

"Alright Stockman," Leo starts off. "Nobody wants to hurt you."

"We don't?" Raph asks, "Did I miss a meeting?"

"We just want the T-Pod," Leo finishes, ignoring Raph's question.

"Give up my source of power? Why? So you can laugh at me again? Throw me in a dumpster?" Our eyes widen. Ooo, he's still mad at us for that...I forgot that happened. Raph growls, smirking.

"Sounds good to me," He answers, his eyes turning white as he charges towards Stockman. He jumps, but Stockman spins around one of his metal hands, knocking Raph into the wall. He lands on the ground, along with some plaster.

Leo, Mikey, Donnie, and I all charge at the same time, but he extends the metal arms, pushing Mikey and Donnie to the walls. Leo and I run up to him on opposite sides, Leo running up an arm and slicing them off. I jump on his back, pushing him to the ground with my feet. He just laughs, re-creating the metal hands. I give a sound of shock.

"What the?" Leo asks in confusion, taking a stance before he gasps at me. "Look out!" He pushes me to the floor and I look up as one of the hands that was cut off had turned into a robot. It's now attached to Leo's head. He screams, running around as Stockman is laughing. "Get it off, get it off!"

He just saved me...

Raph and Donnie emerge from the plaster, Leo pulling to get the robot off him. The robot's head turns around, looking at Donnie and Raph. It starts firing lasers, the two turtles jumping into action and landing on both sides of me. The lasers knock their weapons out of their hands. One of them comes for my head and I yelp, ducking quickly.

"Lasers!" Donnie shouts, him and Raph's eyes white in shock. The robot emits red electricity, shocking Leo before he starts running towards us! The lasers fire and we yell, running away from them. I would help him, but I can't do anything against lasers. Not unless I wanted my hair clean off my head.

While we're dealing with that, Mikey pops his head out of the plaster. "Hey Stockman!" He backflips, spinning one of his nunchucks. He does some moves and the nunchuck extends into a chain. He throws the chain, trapping Stockman, but he spins around using the metal body. Stockman laughs while Mikey is getting dizzy.

The three of us scream as we jump behind some boxes, covering our heads with our hands. "What now, genius?" Raph asks as Donnie eyes something, a piece of glass. I can hear Leo struggling to get that thing off. The three of us hold up the glass, ricocheting the next laser all over before it hits the robot, splitting it in half. Leo turns around, adjusting his mask.

"Thanks," He tells us and we turn to see Stockman using Mikey like his own toy, continuing to spin him around. Raph grits his teeth, clenching his fist. Stockman holds up a dizzy Mikey, spinning him around like a nunchuck.

"Mikey!" I run towards Stockman to make him let go, the other turtles protesting. I jump into the air, but Stockman grabs me and slams my back into the metal knee. I yelp in pain as he drops me. Eyes narrowed, the turtles pick up their dropped weapons and they all charge at him. Stockman uses Mikey to throw him into Raph. Leo cuts the chain while Donnie's blade appears from his staff. He goes to attack, but Stockman crushes the staff.

"Hey!" Donnie exclaims, backflipping as he looks at his broken staff. I run up to Stockman again, but he swings a metal arm, knocking me in front of Donnie.

"It just had to be a metal suit," I mutter to him, standing up as the other turtles join us. Mikey yells, eyes white as he charges at us and there's a red light.

"Ha ha, oh yeah!" Stockman barges through the wall, holding all of us into one hand like we're a giant soccer ball. He was just too powerful, that T-Pod is advancing more by the second. He slams us into the dumpster, laughing at the irony. Mikey has a pot on top of his head. "Foolish turtles...and girl," He eyes me. "Did you really think you could defeat me?"

"Well, yeah," Mikey comments as we look at him.

"All my life, people have laughed at me. The other kids in school, my co-workers, the woman who fixes the copy machine! How was I supposed to know you don't pour toner in the top?"

"Um, you ask instead of assuming?" I suggest.

"Silence! But when they behold the power of this suit, they won't be laughing anymore! They'll tremble in terror!" The suit starts glowing, getting bigger than before.

"What's happening?" Leo asks as we look in shock.

"Stockman and the T-Pod," The arm grows even larger as Donnie is explaining. "They're..." Three heads appear from the back of the suit. "Merging. They're becoming one single entity."

"The Stockmanpod," Mikey says as a large shadow looms over us.

We take off into a run as Stockman is trailing after us. "The Stockmanpod's right on top of us!" Mikey screeches.

"Stop calling him that!" Raph exclaims, "That's a stupid name."

"Split up!" Leo orders, "He can't follow us all!"

"No way!" Mikey denies, "He's gonna follow me!"

"Why would he follow you?" Leo asks in confusion.

"They always follow me!" Mikey answers in panic.

"Stop being paranoid and just do it!" Leo tells him and Raph separates from us first. Donnie turns left and Leo grabs my hand. "Amy, you're coming with me." He pulls me to the left and we continue running down the street as Mikey is left to deal with Stockman, like the turtle predicted. We pant as we come to a stop, and I look down the street to see Stockman running after Mikey.

"Phew," I sigh in relief, pressing my back against the wall.

"I guess Mikey had a point," Leo lets out a small chuckle before his look turns into concern. "Are you okay? That was pretty nasty what he did to you back there."

"I'll live..." I rub my back in pain. "Thank you for saving me from the robot, Leo..."

He smiles softly at me. "You're welcome." He suddenly looks surprised, looking down to see that we're still holding hands. I chuckle nervously and remove my hand, sweating.

"Let's go back underground and find the others!" I exclaim quickly, opening up a manhole cover. Leo snaps out of it and follows after me without another word. Good, I didn't feel like talking about it anyway...

* * *

We've joined the other turtles as we're sneaking back into the lair. The turtles are still grounded, so stealth was the important thing to maintain.

"Shh, guys, quiet. You're gonna wake him up."

"I'm not making noise."

"Shh."

"Don't tell me to be quiet."

"Shh!"

The lights suddenly turn on and I can see Sensei in the distance, stroking his beard. "Ah, Sensei!" Leo exclaims in shock.

"And where have you been?" Splinter wonders curiously, but he's probably upset.

"Nowhere?" Raph asks.

"How did you get so hurt?" Splinter points to the turtles' bruises. Leo hides his swords behind his back.

"Oh, that. Um, well, we were, um..."

"Hit by a..." Donnie continues, but can't find the right word.

"Bus?" Mikey answers with a nervous smile. Was that really the only plausible thing that he could've said. Why not a helicopter while he's at it? Splinter raises a skeptical eyebrow as several of Mikey's teeth fall on the floor. He keeps staring at us like he doesn't believe it.

"Hit by a bus?!" Donnie whispers in disbelief.

"What was I supposed to say?" Mikey retorts back, Leo putting his palm on his face and shaking his head. "Meteor? Cow? Flying building?" Donnie and Mikey glare at each other and I can literally see the veins clashing against each other.

"Enough!" Splinter slams down his staff and we all stand up. "Tell me what happened."

* * *

Mikey is explaining the end of the story, since he was chased by Stockman. Our injuries are all patched up, courtesy of me. We're all sitting on the floor in front of Splinter. I'm in between Mikey and Leo. "And then I threw hot cheese in his face and ran away."

"Very resourceful, Michelangelo," Splinter says, glaring at the turtles. "But I'm still highly disappointed in you all. Amelia, you should have prevented them from leaving."

"...Yes, Master Splinter," I close my eyes sadly. I didn't realize that I practically set this whole thing in motion. I should've stayed with them instead of trying to go out when I knew they were still grounded, and because of that, they've snuck out twice now and they got hurt...

"Sensei, it wasn't her fault," Leo speaks up for me and I open my eyes in shock. "If you should be mad at anyone, it should be us."

"Yeah, she was the one who wanted to leave in the first place," Mikey states. Technically, it was Raph and me. But that's still sweet that they're defending me.

"She was only trying to live her own life, and we wanted to go out because she's not grounded," Raph crosses his arms.

"Don't punish her for our choices," Donnie finishes and I smile at them. Splinter looks between me and them, thinking to himself. Oh man, whenever he has that look, it's usually a bad thing...

"Very well. But the first rule of being a ninja is 'do no harm.' Unless you mean to do harm. Then do lots of harm."

I hold in a laugh at the last part as the turtles look guilty. "You're right, Sensei. I guess we did make a mess of things," Leo looks up at Splinter.

"So, what do you think would be a fitting punishment?" Splinter looks at Leo in the eye. At least it's him and not me. Leo always knew how to talk to Splinter when it comes to stuff like this. You already saw how I was when he asked me to come with a punishment for them.

They don't speak for a few seconds before Leo looks up. "We need to clean up our mess," He confirms confidently.

"Yes," Splinter agrees with him. "You must stop this...Stockmanpod."

"But Sensei, that guy's already kicked our shells," Donnie speaks up. "And now he's even more powerful. How are we supposed to stop him?"

"With that T-Pod, there's no telling what he'll do," I answer in slight fear. For once, I'm actually scared of that lame man.

"I know! I'll hit him really hard!" Raph points out, punching his fists together. Of course he would say that.

"Brute force is not the answer. You will need to rely on your ninja training," Splinter states seriously.

"Excuse me, Sensei," Mikey calls out, "But ninjas never had to go up against guys in armor." Splinter stares at him blankly and Mikey moves his head to see the paintings on the door to Splinter's room. As expected, there are ninjas going against a man in armor, dating back centuries ago. "Ohh," Mikey places a hand on his head. "I mean, ninjas always had to go up against guys in armor."

"Smooth," I whisper to him.

"Nice save," Raph replies, Mikey laughing sheepishly.

"Sensei, what was their secret?" Leo wonders.

"They understood that you do not fight the armor. You fight the man inside," Splinter explains and we all glance at each other, knowing what we had to do. We have to fight the Stockman that's inside the suit, not outside.

"Why are we all looking at each other?" Mikey asks obliviously and we look away in disbelief. Okay, everyone except Mikey knew what we had to do.

* * *

Leo, Donnie, Raph, and I are standing on top of a roof, waiting around. Mikey is baiting Stockman, since he's made it clear villains love chasing him.

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Donnie asks skeptically.

"Like Sensei said. Don't fight the armor. Fight the guy inside," Leo states, making his hand into a fist. He looks back down at the street. "And one thing we know about bad guys, they love chasing Mikey." We hear a crash, which gains our attention.

"Guys! Stockmanpod's got..." Mikey lands in front of us and I can see something heading towards us. "MISSILES!"

Wait, what?! We jump out of the way, Mikey running up a water tower and jumping as the missiles destroy the water tower. Mikey jumps and throws his nunchuck around a pipe to save himself. I look at the fire, turning back to Stockman.

"What the heck, man?!" I demand angrily and he just laughs. The rest of us run around him and he stares at us. We throw our chains at him, entrapping him into a hold. Leo slams his feet down on his chain to tighten the grip while the rest of us pull. Mikey yells as he lands near Leo.

"Now who's trembling in terror?" Mikey's taunt turns into a scream as Stockman frees himself. He's getting more and more powerful...He grabs Mikey by his face and throws him into a building, causing a crash. I gasp, covering my mouth in shock.

"Mikey!" Donnie shouts.

"That's it. You're going down!" Raph threatens as we all run up to him. He runs up to us in his big suit and Donnie lifts himself up using his staff, kicking Stockman repeatedly before slamming down his staff. Leo comes in from behind and tries slicing at his armor, but he doesn't even make a dent. I dash into the scene, sliding under his legs and trying to kick him, but his metal on the suit is too hard. In fact, my foot actually hurts now. I yelp quietly, clutching onto my boot, but I have to get through it. I don't have a weapon, that's how much I suck right now against a metal suit. Raph stabs his sais into him, leaping to the top of the suit and piercing his sais there. He's knocked onto the roof and jumps, but Stockman slams him down.

"Raph!" Leo calls out, the rest of us jumping into the air. Stockman grabs us with his metal arms, slamming us together and spinning around, making us dizzy. He then throws us and I roll to a stop on the roof while Donnie and Leo fall off.

"Leo, Donnie!" I shout, reaching out and grabbing Leo's hand. Another hand grabs Donnie's and I look to see that it's Raph.

"Gotcha."

We pull them up back to their feet, only for Stockman to loom over us like he's a freaking giant. "Any last words?"

"Just one...bees!" Leo answers, confusing Stockman.

"Bees?"

"Beeeees!" Mikey suddenly comes in sliding down a rope, holding a beehive in his other hand. He jumps up the armor and slams the beehive into Stockman's face. He gets attacked by the bees and I smile as he screams. Should've put some protective face armor there, pal. The T-Pod glows red.

"The T-Pod!" Leo exclaims, narrowing his eyes. A whole swarm surrounds Stockman and while he's distracted, we all stand in a line, our eyes white. One by one, we run up to him, Mikey swinging his nunchuck at him. Donnie jabs him with his staff. Raph attacks him with his sais. Leo slices his swords at him and I do a handstand, angling my legs and kicking Stockman off the roof. We look over the edge to see him still struggling with the bees, unable to get up. He's got bruises on his face due to the bee stings.

He gasps as Leo stands over him, turning over to me. "Wanna do the honors?"

"Gladly," I take one of his swords and stab it through the T-Pod, taking it back from Stockman. A light shines from where the T-Pod was, shutting down the robot. Stockman crawls out of it and gasps as he sees us.

"So...we'll call it a tie?" He chuckles nervously.

"Wanna call it a tie, Raph?" Leo grins knowingly, Raph cracking his knuckles.

"Not yet."

"No, noooo!" Stockman is thrown into the dumpster once again, all of us grinning.

"Now it's a tie," Raph slams down the door, all of us cheering. Raph and Donnie give each other a high three.

"Yeah boi!"

* * *

We've arrived home, sitting in front of Splinter. "You all showed wisdom and great skill in defeating the Stockmanpod," He congratulates us. "I am proud of you all."

"Does this mean we're not grounded anymore?" Leo asks hopefully. Splinter closes his eyes, stroking his beard. They did prove themselves worthy of their punishment going away...

"Yes." Splinter seems to think so too, smiling. The turtles all smile widely before the rat turns to me. "And Amelia-"

"Whatever it is, I didn't do it!" I interrupt, Splinter chuckling, which makes me confused. I have no idea what's going on right now, and the turtles seem to be in on it as they all look away from me, whistling. "Okay, what is going on?"

"I have something for you," Splinter states and I move my head back a little, raising an eyebrow.

"What you talkin' about, Splinter?"

He doesn't answer as he just walks over to a wall of weapons. Splinter grabs something and I can only watch as he comes back to me...with a sword. It's long and shiny with pink wrappings around the hilt. It looks pretty sharp too, so sharp I could cut my hair. There's also a green symbol, symbolizing the Hamato Clan. I gasp sharply as I knew what this meant. The moment has finally come...!

"It is clear that you are a natural at your training. You have advanced so far these past few weeks. And now it is time for your weapon." He holds out the sword to me. "A single katana, for those with courage and skill."

"Oh wow..." I murmur as I hold it in my hands. I've dreamed of this for a while now, and I don't even know what to say.

"You deserved it," Leo smiles, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Now you can actually keep up," Raph snorts and I glare at him slightly.

"Don't listen to him," Donnie waves it off. "You earned it."

"Yeah dudette!" Mikey puts his arm around me. "Now you're ninjaing with the ninjas..."

I look up at Splinter and smile, bowing my head. "Thank you, sensei."

"Now you will continue to advance in your journey as a kunoichi in training. Are you ready?"

I suck in a breath. I know what I'm getting into, but I don't care. I wanna do it, so that I can improve myself as a person. "I'm ready."

"Excellent," Splinter smiles. "And now, Randori!"

We all scream as we run away, because I've heard Randori hurts and I want no part of that, not after I just got my weapon.


	6. Metalhead

**Angel: Stop asking me when I'll update, Katelyn. If I have to hear such disrespect again from you or anyone else for that matter, you guys can figure it out for yourselves why this wouldn't be updated ever again because you don't know what respect and patience means. Be fair to me because I am working on other stories and I am in college.**

We're fighting the Kraang (again), as they're firing their laser guns at us. As usual, they were up to something. What it is, I have no idea yet. Leo flips as we run past the lasers, Raph jumping from a pipe. Leo rushes forward.

"Keep moving. Don't let them surround you. Failure is not an option," He calls out.

"Technically, failure is always an option," Donnie points as he's running next to Leo. Raph appears right next to him.

"You know what else is an option? Slapping you!" He retorts and I run next to Leo.

"Painting your mask pink is also an option too," I tell him and he narrows his eyes. We separate as the Kraang don't let up on their attack, Donnie rolling onto the floor.

"Mikey! On the right!" He warns, Mikey looking wide-eyed.

"Your right or my right?" He turns to his right and leaps, running past the lasers with a yelp. Donnie comes in with his staff and only hits the head of a Kraang. I cringe as I backflip away from an incoming laser. Ooo, that's not good.

"Are you kidding me?" Donnie asks in disbelief. "I hate this thing!" The Kraang droid turns around to him, only for a sai to pierce right through its head. Raph kicks it down, defeating it. He looks up at Donnie.

"Nice work. When we're done here, there's a marching band that needs a majorette," He tells his younger brother, Donnie glancing at his staff. I place a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Donnie, your skills are still great with or without that staff." He gives me a look and I slowly take my hand off, smiling widely. More lasers fly past us and I run past him. Leo leaps into the air and uses the wall to fly himself over to a Kraang, slicing it into pieces. My mouth drops open in awe at his skills, glancing at my sword. I haven't had much training with the sword, so I'm not sure how I would do...

Raph runs up a pipe and jumps onto a Kraang's shoulders, stabbing it there with his sais. The droid falls onto the ground, the brain crawling away. I run up to a Kraang and slice the torso in half, kicking the body down.

"Kraang, the present is being a positive time to be the testing of the energy cannon."

Energy cannon? What energy cannon? My question is soon answered as two droids pull open a door and a large tank-like cannon appears into the room.

"Uh, guys?" I call out nervously as Leo and Mikey take down a Kraang.

"Everyone stand your ground!" Leo orders as we plant our feet against the floor. The energy cannon powers up, which we have no idea how to stop. "On second thought, run!" Did he really think we could stop a highly-advanced cannon against our weapons? The cannon fires and we all dodge it as it fires multiple times. Leo jumps right over it as I duck my head. Another one comes straight at me and I'm suddenly pushed out of the way.

I pant in relief as I look at Leo as we're on the floor side by side. "Thanks."

"Anytime." We both stand up and I see Donnie's staff get destroyed by the laser.

"Oh come on!" He exclaims in annoyance.

"Dude, your weapon just exploded!" Mikey points at it.

"Not helping," I tell him and Donnie ducks from another laser, running to hide behind boxes.

"How am I supposed to fight advanced alien technology with a stupid stick?!" I hear him shout and Leo slices another Kraang in pieces. Raph pierces one through with his sais as Mikey jumps onto it, flinging its head off. I jump, spinning into a circle as I slice through a Kraang, rolling safely onto the ground. Leo and Raph turn around as the cannon gets closer, the Kraang firing at them. Donnie, Mikey, and I join them, standing as a team as the cannon powers up.

"Kraang, destroy those who call themselves the turtles and Amelia when that which is the signal is the signal that is given by me!" Leo looks around and sees a lift, pulling out a shuriken. He throws it into at a pipe, which then hits the button of the lift, pushing the cannon into the wall and causing all of them to be stuck. Leo and Raph glance at each other knowingly before we all get out using the window.

"Dumb luck," Raph smirks at Leo.

"Wasn't luck, my friend. And dumb had nothing to do with it."

"Hey, I don't care how we did it," I stand in front of them. "I think we did the one thing that's gonna allow me to have a break."

Donnie seems to be pulling something from the window. "Hey, give me a hand with this."

"A hand with what?" Leo asks curiously and Donnie looks around nervously instead of answering the question. Something tells me we're gonna regret this...

* * *

"We're carrying this thing because...why?" Raph wonders as Donnie decided to take a Kraang body with him. Knowing the turtle, it's for his scientific genius.

"Don't you wanna understand how these things work?" Donnie asks as he and Raph are dragging it.

"I know how they work," Raph starts off, "Ya hit 'em till the brainy toy surprise pops out."

Mikey opens the manhole cover as I shake my head. "Why couldn't we have gotten a chip or something? Did it have to be a heavy Kraang body?"

"Let him have it," Leo says to me, "You know how he gets."

"That's your problem, Raph," Donnie picks up the body by himself. "You never think things through." He then drops the body, but it doesn't seem to fit.

"Was that supposed to fit?" Raph wonders as the body looks all twisted. He looks up at Donnie, who kicks the body. He tries pushing it down with his foot, but nothing.

"Oh for god's sake," I move past Mikey and Raph. "Stand back, boys. If you want something done, you gotta do it yourself."

They move away a few feet and I stretch my arms. I backflip and with enough force, I manage to get the body down into the sewer water.

"Oh!" Donnie complains as he hears the splash. "Now I have to deal with the smell."

"You're mutant turtles who LIVE in the sewers with that smell," I retort, the others grinning as they point to me. "If anything, you should be saying thank you."

"Thank you?!" Donnie asks in disbelief.

"You're welcome," I pat him on the cheek, going down into the grate first.

* * *

Mikey's munching on pizza while Donnie's tinkering with the Kraang body. April is reading on her computer, Raph is feeding Spike, and Leo and I are reading a Space Heroes comic together.

"This technology is light-years ahead of anything I've ever seen!" Donnie rambles, pulling out something with the Kraang's symbol on it. "Do you know what this is?"

"No," April states, not even looking at him.

"Neither do I! But I can't wait to find out!" Donnie exclaims in excitement, drool coming from his mouth. Leo and I glance at each other before going back to the comic. I'm holding the left side while he's holding the right side, delicately of course.

Splinter comes into the room with a new staff for Donnie.

"Look, Spike. Donnie got another stick to break," Raph says, nuzzling Spike underneath his chin. Splinter holds out the staff for Donnie.

"With all due respect, Sensei, I can't keep fighting alien technology with a 6-foot staff," Donnie explains, standing up. "I was hoping to upgrade my weapon."

"Hmm, a 7-foot staff. Interesting," Splinter says teasingly.

"Ha ha!" I laugh slightly, Leo turning a page.

"No, I meant using modern technology," Donnie elaborates.

"Aah, a solar-powered staff," Splinter jokes and I laugh again, Donnie flaring up his nostrils at me. I stick out my tongue at him.

"I'm serious, Sensei," Donnie states, a little annoyed by the jokes and laughing.

"I know. And yes, you may upgrade your weapon," Splinter tells him, Donnie crossing his arms.

"That's totally unfair!" He exclaims, meaning he did not hear what Splinter had just said. "You can't just say-" his eyes widen as he realizes what Splinter said. "Wait, did you say yes?"

"Ninjas have improved their arsenal for centuries. We are masters of adaptation," Splinter explains.

"That is great!" Donnie yells happily, standing up fully. "Cause with this technology, I will be invincible! What should I make? Electric sais? Multi-shot shuriken? Plasma swords!" Donnie gasps in awe. "I just gave myself goosebumps." He holds out his arm to April. "You wanna feel? Heh?"

"Pass," April answers simply and I glance at Leo with a smug look. He returns it and we go back to reading.

"Donnie, you've fought just fine with your staff. It's your fighting skills that make you unique, not what you fight with," I call out, shrugging.

"But remember, technology is a means, not an end. Like Amelia said, it is you who must prevail in battle, not your weapon," Splinter advises, Donnie picking up the Kraang body. "Combat is not a video game."

"That's it, I'll turn combat into a video game!" Donnie exclaims as he drags the body to his lab. "Thanks sensei!"

I let out a sigh at this, placing a hand on my head.

* * *

Later on, while he's still in the lab, Raph and Leo are playing a game against each other. Mikey is sleeping on the tire swing while April is still on her laptop doing something. Not sure what exactly. I'm listening to music, reading through a fashion magazine. I look in awe at a silver dress.

"Hey guys! Check out this post I got!" April calls out.

"Hang on, April. I just have to destroy Lame-onardo," Raph says and I sit next to April on the ground. I can hear the game noises from here as it seems to be an intense match. Raph slams down a button and I hear laughing, meaning Raph won. I turn my head to Leo, who frowns as Raph is dancing at his victory. He then pushes Leo, who rubs his head. The two join us at the couch. "So what's up?" Raph asks, Leo smacking him on the head as payback.

"I set up a message board to collect unusual sightings around New York," April starts off.

"Oh, so that's what you were doing," I say in realization, April nodding with a slight hum.

"People send in pics, videos. I also get some stuff that may help us track the Kraang and find our parents," April glances at me. "Like this video of a gas explosion." She pulls up a short video where a Kraang can be seen walking out of the gas.

"A Kraangdroid," Leo says, Mikey immediately opening his eyes in alarm.

"Where?!" He falls into the water and I shake my head at him.

"We'll check it out tonight," Leo tells Raph and I.

"Why not right now?" April asks in confusion.

"April, don't you know what time it is?" I ask back, Leo nodding at me.

"It's daytime. We can't let anyone see us." April closes her laptop.

"Well, I can, and so can Amy."

"Um," I sweat a little. "I actually have solo training with Splinter in a few minutes and remembering the last time I didn't attend, I am staying right here." If it wasn't for that, then I would definitely go. After all, my mother got kidnapped too. But I'm not skipping training again, not after what happened the last time I did that.

"Fine, then I'll go alone," April stands up, walking over to the entrance.

"April, think about this," Leo steps in front of her to block her way. "It could be dangerous."

"You know what else could be dangerous?" April points at him. "Standing between me and my father," She crosses her arms, giving Leo a stubborn look. Whether or not he'd let her go, she'd probably do it anyway.

Leo holds up his hands as he's not winning this fight. "Okay," He gestures to the entrance and she smiles in triumph, leaving. Leo stares after her and I walk up to him.

"Leo, let her go. You know she's gonna do it either way," I place a hand on his shoulder and he sighs a little.

"She could be kidnapped, it's the Kraang! I'm just a little worried that she might not come back. She's not even training like you. And then what's Donnie gonna say?" Leo replies, looking at me.

"I didn't have any experience whatsoever," I point out, "And look at me, I'm fighting alien robots, ninjas, and mutants. So you should trust her."

Leo thinks about it for a minute before he smiles at me. "You're right, Amy. Thanks for that."

"Of course...loser."

"Oh come on," He complains as I'm referring to his loss to Raph. I giggle at him.

"I'm kidding! ...Maybe."

* * *

Leo and I are watching Space Heroes together. I'm so glad that I can watch this with someone and talk about what happened. Someone who has such a love and appreciation for Space Heroes! Sometimes we'll talk for hours about conventions or merchandise. Once we stayed up all night talking (we didn't have training in the morning, thank goodness). I just...feel so happy that someone understands why I love this show.

Leo holds out some popcorn to me and I take a handful without looking, throwing it into my mouth as the show comes on. Captain Ryan and his crew are exploring a planet.

"What do you make of this, Dr. Mindstrong?"

Dr. Mindstrong waves a device around at the rocks. "This is very disturbing, Captain. Sensors indicate-" A flying alien suddenly lands on his head, taking control over him! "Everything is fine."

"Great galaxies!" Captain Ryan exclaims in shock.

"Captain, what's happened?" Crankshaw asks in confusion as he doesn't know.

"Dr. Mindstrong's been taken over by the Cortexicons!"

Leo and I gasp in shock. Those darn Cortexicons! "What'll we do? What'll we do?" Crankshaw panics, only to be slapped like he's always been. "Ow!"

"There's only thing we can do," Captain Ryan starts. "Dr. Mindstrong must be destroyed."

Leo and I watch in silence, added with shock, as the doctor is destroyed. "What a hero," Leo whispers, me nodding silently. He had to destroy a crew member for the sake of humanity...how noble. There's suddenly a loud bang, making us look around in confusion. Raph turns his head while Mikey hugs his pizza box to his chest, looking frightened. Finally, we find the source of the noise to be...a robot that looks like a turtle.

"Take me to your leader," It speaks through a built-in speaker in its mouth. Mikey darts his eyes.

"Leo, it's for you," He calls out and I stifle a laugh as we join him.

"What is this thing?" Leo questions.

"Something tells me this has to do with-"

"Lady, gentlemen," Donnie interrupts, confirming my assumption. "And Raphael." Raph looks shocked at that. "This is the future of ninjutsu," Donnie gestures to the turtle robot.

"I always thought the future of ninjutsu would be taller," Raph retorts with his arms crossed, referring to how the robot is half Donnie's height.

"Aw, he's so cute," Mikey bends down to it. He smiles widely, gasping as he scratches under the robot's chin. "Coochie coochie coo." The robot's eyes glow blue as an array of weapons appear from it, surprising Mikey as he falls onto the ground.

"Heh heh," Donnie chuckles at his reaction, poking the robot's head. "He doesn't like to being tickled," he pats the robot on the head.

"Ya think?" I cross my arms, raising an eyebrow.

Mikey starts making faces at the robot while we're examining it, except for Raph, who just looks like his usual grumpy self. I examine the back as Donnie is explaining his newest creation.

"Isn't it cool? I reverse-engineered it from the Kraangdroid."

"Okay, why?" Leo stands up, hands on his hips.

"So the drone can handle the dangerous stuff while we stay out of harm's way," Donnie states, Mikey blowing a raspberry at the robot.

"Oh, I get it. This is for wimps too afraid to fight," Raph replies.

"No," Donnie denies knowingly, "It's for wimps too smart to fight. I-I mean," He tries to find a better way to describe it.

"It's so people like you don't have to fight with a stick?" I ask and he points to me.

"Exactly."

I glance at Leo and Raph skeptically at his answer. "Ooh!" Mikey turns to us with a smile. "Let's call him Metalhead. Why you ask? Because it's got a head and It's made of-"

Leo facepalms, "We get it."

"I don't need a toaster to fight my battles for me," Raph makes it clear.

"This is ridiculous, Donnie," Leo says, hands on his hips, "It takes the point out of being a ninja."

"It's exactly the point of being a ninja, we adapt," Donnie points to the robot. "Amy, you adapted too."

"Yeah," I scratch my neck, "I agree with you, but I didn't use a robot at any point in time and I don't need technology in my fighting. Personally, I think you're going a little bit overboard when Sensei said you could upgrade. Robot, cool. Using it all the time instead of doing it yourself, not so much."

"Oh, come on. You've only had a few weeks. Watch this, you'll see. Attack the drone. Give it all you got," He waves his hand forward to challenge us. I look at Leo and Raph, confused on whether or not he listened to what I just said.

"You sure? I think Amy's right, and I don't wanna break your toy." Raph pushes past Leo.

"I do." Probably because of the gentlemen comment earlier and because Raph does his fighting himself. He can take down anyone. I haven't had that experience since I have yet to spar with any of the turtles. I've been mostly being doing katas, meditation, stealth exercises, and recently weapon basics. Sometimes I get help using my weapon from the turtles when I'm participating in group training, since they're more experienced. It's a good pace for me, and I wouldn't want to change my method of fighting for technology.

Donnie presses a button from his remote controller, and Metalhead powers up. His eyes turn back on and he moves his body around, almost like he was stretching like a normal human would. Raph growls and runs forward, pulling out his sais. He looks very focused as he flips into the air, Metalhead only looking up. Raph is falling towards Metalhead, but Donnie pushes a lever and Metalhead grabs Raph's sais. Donnie moves his arms so that Metalhead is throwing Raph around using his sais.

My eyes widen as Raph is thrown over to the entrance. Donnie chuckles at him. Metalhead is pretty strong...Donnie hears yelling and looks around. I point up to the air as Leo and Mikey are falling towards the robot. They surround him on opposite sides, swinging around their weapons at it. Metalhead is not affected by them at all, Donnie grinning widely at the robot's metal body. Metalhead grabs one weapon from each turtle and they look nervous at this. The robot pulls the weapons together, making the two turtles crash their heads against each other. Metalhead steps on Leo's foot and he screams. He's then kicked away and Donnie ducks as Leo lands on Raph.

Mikey appears from behind and screams when Metalhead turns around. The robot punches him into his brothers and I cringe. Donnie looks at me and I give a startled look as I'm the last one standing. I take a deep breath, clutching my sword in my hands. I run forward with a yell, jumping so that I'm above Metalhead. I spin my body around, my sword acting as a wheel that can pierce anything like a circle. Metalhead grabs the sword and the next thing I know, I'm soaring into the pool.

I swim back up to the living room, coughing as I'm soaking wet. Donnie approaches his brothers as I step out of the water.

"I kicked your shells!" Donnie brags, "And I didn't even have to use the laser cannon! Face it, guys, with things thing I'm invincible!"

Raph stands up and puts his sai to the controller Donnie's holding. "Oh yeah?" With the sai he knocks it to the ground. I spit out water from my mouth as I look at Donnie.

"He does have a point. Oh, and I don't have a shell. But I'll kick yours if you have that," I point to Metalhead, "Do this," I gesture to myself, "To me again." I squeeze my hair and he smiles nervously, stepping away slowly from me. Good, he knows what he's dealing with.

"You know what I mean," Donnie glares at Raph as he goes to get it. He grabs it, but a foot stops him from picking it up. He looks up to see Splinter. "Sensei, I was wondering if I could take Metalhead for a spin tonight."

"You may," Splinter agrees, but like last time, Donnie doesn't realize it immediately.

"That's totally unfair! You can't just...wait what?" His eyes widen. Is Splinter that strict to the point where Donnie would think he'd say no? ...Actually yeah, he would be in retrospect.

"You have created this new weapon," Splinter explains, walking up to Metalhead. "We must see how well it works." He pats Metalhead's head.

"Well, that's great," Donnie stands up in relief. "Thank you, Sensei."

"But, it is a test only," Splinter continues. "Do not take it into combat."

"No problem, Sensei," Donnie bows to him and I can immediately tell that's going to be shot down. It's Donnie, of course he would test out the weapons.

Splinter leaves the living room. "You're taking it into combat, aren't you?" Raph asks knowingly as he and Mikey are reading a magazine.

"Totally!" Donnie grins, giggling.

* * *

And so we go out for the test, Leo jumping and landing at the next rooftop in front of him. He bends down to look over the edge, Mikey ziplining over using a rope next to a billboard. Raph rolls to a stop as I land next to Leo.

While the rest of us were quiet, Metalhead? Not so much. We can hear the clanking of his legs as he jumps, landing loudly before us. Leo shakes his head, putting a hand to his temple. Metalhead's not exactly the silent type, since he is made of metal. Metalhead runs and stops in front of us. Even his running is loud and he only ran a short distance. Smoke comes out of his ears, Mikey cringing while Raph just stares at it.

"Should we double back? I think there's a car alarm he didn't set off," Leo says sarcastically.

"I kinda like it," Raph bends down to Metalhead. "It goes nicely with all the sirens and cries for help," He pats the robot on the head. Donnie is not with us, since he needs a screen to see what Metalhead is seeing. Therefore he's at the lair, his headphone synced to Metalhead's mouth speaker.

"Oh, come on. You guys are just jealous 'cause you're out there in the cold and I'm here eating Mikey's last slice of pizza," Donnie retorts back. I roll my eyes at his confidence.

"Hey!" Mikey punches Metalhead's arm, clutching his own arm as Metalhead's material can't be pierced that easily. "Ow!"

"I'm not jealous since Metalhead makes me want earmuffs," I reply, but it is kinda chilly. Leo looks around for something and he takes something from the next building, coming back with a jacket. He drapes it over me and I smile at his kindness, snuggling into it.

"Aw, how sweet," Raph smirks in amusement, Leo giving him a look that said 'Don't.'

"Hey, guys, quiet," Leo whispers. "Somebody's coming." We all duck, but when Metalhead does it, he does so with loud creaking. And all of that is just to do a simple action. I really can't believe that Donnie doesn't realize how loud Metalhead is. He hasn't even made a comment about it.

"Guys, it's me." We look over the edge to see April walking around in the alley.

"April!" Leo exclaims in relief that she's okay. The four of us join her, but she looks worried.

"Guys! I was just looking for you. Where'd you get that jacket?" April points to the black jacket that I obviously don't own.

"The jacket store." I shrug like it was nothing. And it shouldn't be nothing if it wasn't for the fact that Leo gave it to me...

There's a whistle from above coming near us and Metalhead lands in the dumpster. I jump back a bit and so does April as the two of us were the ones closest to it. The dumpster falls onto the ground and Leo facepalms for the third time today. I guess his younger brothers just have that effect on him lately.

We glance back at the dumpster as Metalhead struggles inside and I sigh at this, stepping up to the container. I open the door, bending down to Metalhead.

"Are you sure this is the robot that kicked our butts earlier today?" I ask smugly and Donnie grunts at my question. I help the robot out and dust off the trash on him.

"Still, it's stealthier than the real Donatello," Raph comments and I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Sure, all of that noise is something Donnie does on a regular basis," I deadpan as April turns to it in confusion.

"What the heck is that?"

"It's Donnie's latest 'brilliant' creation," Leo gestures to it, "Metalhead."

"Catchy name, huh?" Mikey leans towards the robot. "My idea." He leans against the robot and April stares at it, a little uncomfortable with the robot.

"Oh, sorry, April," Metalhead states very loudly. "I'm still getting used to the controls." We all cover our ears, my ears buzzing. "Whoops." Metalhead's mouth is closed. "Megaphone button got stuck," He chuckles sheepishly.

"Any more surprises?" I mutter as I rub my ear.

"Guys, we gotta do something," April says in an urgent tone. "The Kraang are gonna poison the city's water supply with mutagen!"

"The whole city will become a disaster area!" Leo exclaims as I gasp sharply. If that happens, there will be millions of mutants storming the city, and I don't think all of them will be on our side.

"There'll be mutants everywhere!" Metalhead, or rather, Donnie says in panic.

"Wow." Mikey hugs Metalhead. "Think of all the friends we can make." We all stare at him silently, as he's not seeing the problem we have. Even Metalhead turns to him. "Excuse me for being a glass-half-full kinda guy."

Leo says nothing for a few seconds as he contemplates what Mikey just said. "Let's go!" he changes the subject as we run past April and Metalhead.

"Yeah! The Kraang don't stand a chance!" Metalhead runs to catch up with us, but Leo holds out a hand to stop him. "What?"

"Donnie, I need you to hang back. Metalhead is just too clumsy," Leo tells him. "It'll get in our way."

"Clumsy?!" Metalhead knocks down a few trash cans. He glances at the mess he made. "I did that on purpose to emphasize my point."

"You're not coming, Donnie," Leo repeats sternly and we run down the alley so that we can stop the Kraang, leaving a disappointed and sad Metalhead. Aw, I don't wanna make him feel that way, but Metalhead would probably give away our location if he came with us. Once I got past the whole throwing me into the water thing, I accepted him.

* * *

We all leap down and sneak inside the building, April and Metalhead nearby as she had told us where they were. Once we're inside, the Kraang are transporting their mutagen.

"Looks like a Kraang picnic down there," Leo states as we look over them from the ceiling.

"Ready to bash some bots?" Raph asks with a small grin.

"Destroy some droids?" Leo punches his fists.

"Ambush some aliens?" I grin and Raph fist bumps me for my pun.

"Clean some closets?" Mikey asks and we all stare at him, wondering how he came up with that and why. "Uh, I meant to say crush some Kraang?" He asks nervously, but crush doesn't start with K. Leo jumps forward, signaling to attack and the three of us land behind some Kraang, destroying them quickly. Raph holds up a Kraang head on his sai and we turn to see two Kraang approaching us.

"Booyakasha!" Mikey jumps in and kicks them down, punching them. Raph pulls him away as Mikey kicks them with aggression, something I've never seen before. Going way too far there, buddy.

We peek around the corner and Leo rolls forward, followed by the rest of us. We then jump to hide behind another pillar, Mikey rolling to hide behind the one next to us. The Kraang are doing something, and whatever it is, it's bad. One of the defeated Kraang from before drops to the ground not too far away from us, pointing to...us. We cringe and unfortunately the Kraang we were spying on sees us. They fire up their weapons and shoot at us. We roll out of the way, hiding behind some barrels. They continue to fire at us.

A stray laser hits the window, going outside as Mikey is screaming. "They're everywhere! Run!"

They continue firing at us.

"Leo!" Raph exclaims as we backflip to a pile of crates. "We're running out of..." Mikey joins us as we're kinda squished together. "Room."

Leo glances at the Kraang. "We're trapped."

"Or maybe they're the ones who are trapped, hm?" Mikey points at the aliens and peeks over the crate.

"Mikey, get down!" I hiss as they're definitely not the ones who are trapped. I push his head down and yelp, ducking my head from a laser.

"No, it's us," Mikey says in fear and I facepalm.

They continue to fire and we think it's all over...until glass shatters and we look to see Metalhead crashing in, landing on some Kraang. But his arms look all splayed and broken.

"What are you doing? What is wrong with your arms?" Leo asks.

"My hands aren't on my hips?" Donnie wonders.

"No!" Leo yells at him, Raph facepalming. I stifle a laugh underneath my hand. I know he's trying to be heroic, but his arms just look weird. And the fact that he didn't even know makes it all more funny.

"Sorry. Forgot to press B." Metalhead moves his hands so that they're now on his hips in a heroic pose. The Kraang surround the robot, preparing to attack. Metalhead glances at them and they immediately start firing. We glance at each other in shock as they have no effect on the robot. The Kraang stop firing when they realize that Metalhead has no damage whatsoever.

"Now it's my turn!" One of Metalhead's hands turns into a cannon. "Eat hot laser!" Metalhead starts firing blue lasers at them, laughing at how easy it was. "You want some of this?" Donnie hollers as he's destroying those Kraang. He's probably smiling with that little gaptooth, laughing at how fun it was controlling Metalhead.

Metalhead raises his arm and his fist detaches itself from the body, flying into the Kraang and punching them. The fist goes back into its arm after defeating several of the aliens.

"Hey, Raph, how does it feel to be shown up by a toaster?"

Raph frowns, grumbling at Metalhead. Leo and I are both smirking at him. Serves him right. Mikey turns to Metalhead.

"Burn."

"Yeah, I thought that was a good one," Metalhead places his hands on his hips, but he doesn't notice two Kraang approaching him from behind.

"No!" Mikey exclaims, pointing at the incoming danger. "Burn!"

"Oh right." Metalhead turns around and uses a flamethrower on the Kraang. I think I heard something, but I can't hear exactly what was being said over the flames. Metalhead has stopped using the flames in favor of lasers and he moves over to us! We all scream, ducking out of the way.

"Dude!" Mikey yells at him.

"Oops. Sorry Mikey," Donnie says sheepishly.

"Donnie, watch the friendly fire," Leo warns him. I sniff something weird, and it's close-by...

"You guys smell that?" I ask, turning to Raph and Leo.

"Yeah. Your hair's on fire." Raph states bluntly. I look down at my ends to see it smoldering and I yelp, blowing it out frantically. Leo tries to fan it with his hand, but Mikey grabs my purse, takes a water bottle, and damps my ends with it. I sigh in relief, going over and punching Raph in the arm.

He's laughing at my reaction. "Ah," He rubs his arm in mock pain. "Sorry for having a sense of humor."

"A sick one," I mutter as I squeeze my hair dry.

"Here's some for you!" Donnie is still fighting. "And some for you! And, oh, yeah, I saved a little for you too! How'd that taste?"

Some of the lasers hit some bottles, causing an explosion that knocks Metalhead into a pillar. It did some damage to him as he's unable to move. We don't pay attention to him as the explosion affected us too. Mikey's rubbing his head as Leo checks over him as I'm bending over, kneeling on the floor. We're unharmed with no injuries, but that explosion was powerful.

"Guys, if you can hear me, you might wanna run!" Donnie warns us and we look over to see Metalhead standing in front of the fire, with a Kraang brain on top of his head. His eyes are now pink instead of blue.

"The ones that which are called turtles and Amelia will now be called turtles and Amelia that are..." Metalhead's mouth opens up to use the megaphone, "Destroyed!"

"Whew," Mikey sighs in relief and we stare at him for his reaction. "I was really afraid at the beginning of the sentence, but then I sort of just lost interest towards-" There's a sound and we turn to see Metalhead opening up his left hand, pointing it at him. "Okay, I'm afraid again." He screams and since Donnie hasn't said a word, he's probably trying to figure something out.

We run past all the incoming lasers, pulling out our weapons. Mikey throws his nunchuck towards Metalhead, who captures it. I'm standing with Mikey in front of Metalhead while Leo and Raph are behind him.

"Give him everything you've got!" Leo tells us and Raph jumps into the air, scratching Metalhead with his sai back and forth. Mikey is swinging his nunchucks at his manhole cover shell, Leo is using his swords on Metalhead's face, and I'm swinging at his body, being careful not to hit any of the turtles. "He's gotta have a weak spot."

Mikey stops using his nunchucks. "This always works!" He kicks Metalhead in the leg, hopping up and down while holding his foot. "Ow!" He looks at his throbbing toes. "Usually."

Metalhead punches him onto the ground and then knocks down the rest of us. We can't pierce through him, he's too strong... The Kraang surround Metalhead.

"Now Kraang wll destroy you. Which one wants to be first to be destroyed by Kraang?"

"Me!" We all look up at the voice to see Donnie entering through the same window he broke. He spins his staff, jabbing it into the air.

"Donnie! Bangin' entrance, dude!" Mikey calls out as we all smile, happy to see him.

"You guys deal with the droids," Donnie looks to us. "I'll handle Metalhead."

"But Donnie..."

"Amy. This is something I have to do myself. I know you can handle a few measly Kraang," He winks and I smile slightly, running past the two with the others. I slice through a Kraang, the other turtles knocking them down.

"It is the maker of the tech which was the tech that was of the Kraang." So the brain must've took control over Metalhead because it recognized the technology. And Donnie wasn't able to gain control back, so he came over on his own.

"Come on. Give me your best-" Donnie screams and I turn around to see the rocket fist flying around. Donnie hits it so that Metalhead gets hit in the face with his own rocket fist. Metalhead starts firing lasers at him and Donnie moves past them all, but his staff is, once again, broken. "Not again." Metalhead fires another rocket fist, but this time, it explodes when it lands. Donnie sees something as he looks up. "That might work. Hey Kraang! The one who is called your mother wears the boots are made for combat!"

Do Kraang even have moms? "The comment that is made by you shows ignorance of Kraang! The ones known by you as mothers-"

"Just come get me!" Donnie interrupts and Metalhead fires some things from his eyes. Donnie runs past them as there's another explosion. He leaps over the lasers swiftly, landing behind Metalhead as he looks up. He shields himself using his staff as a pillar falls down. I gasp, running over to him, but he's okay as his staff pierced through Metalhead.

"Booyakasha!" Donnie exclaims.

"Sounds weird when he says it," Mikey comments.

"Sounds weird when you say it," Raph retorts back.

"That which is the revenge will be had on those who call themselves the turtles and Amelia." The brain removes itself from Metalhead, causing the robot to shut down. The brain attacks Donnie briefly before it runs away.

"Nice job, bro!" Mikey cheers.

"Way to go, Donnie," Leo tells him.

"Great thinking," I smile slightly as Donnie stands up, smiling a little.

"Yeah, not bad," Raph says, taking this opportunity to scold Donnie. "Except for that part where you built the thing in the first place. And the part where it broke. And the part where it tried to kill us. And the part-"

"Okay, I get it," Donnie interrupts, frowning as he looks guilty...

* * *

We've arrived back home, watching Raph play a video game near the entrance. "Oh, so close to my high score!" Leo brags, Mikey and I laughing. Donnie is tinkering with something, as obviously something is bothering him. Probably because of what happened with Metalhead...

I walk over to him, to make sure he's okay. Splinter comes into the room, noticing Donnie's silence. "What troubles you, Donatello?"

"Yeah, you haven't said anything since we got back," I point out.

He glances at Splinter and me before sighing. "This was all my fault, Sensei."

"You are responsible, yes."

"Yeah," Donnie sighs in agreement.

"Responsible for destroying the mutagen. Responsible for saving the people of this city. Responsible for defeating advanced technology using only ingenuity, bravery, and a stick," Splinter says knowingly, Donnie smiling faintly.

"Yeah, if it wasn't for you, we'd have mutants strolling the streets!" I gesture to his stick. "The weapon doesn't matter. It's who wields it who is responsible."

Donnie stands up, looking better now. "Thanks Sensei, Amy. Maybe you're right."

"We are," We both say in unison.

"I guess with proper training, there's nothing better than a wooden stick," he glances at what he was building, his stick now having a rocket attached to it. "Except a laser guided, missile-launching wooden stick."

"Donnie, maybe don't keep making upgrades-" He slams down his stick and the missile starts to power up. The other turtles are wrestling with each other until they notice the missile stick.

"It's not supposed to do that. RUN!" Donnie screams and we all yell, running towards the entrance. When I get back, I'm gonna smack Donnie on the head.


	7. Monkey Brains

**Angel: I'm currently trying to work on more chapters as we speak so I can get this done and out of the way. So you might be seeing more frequent updates from me. Therefore, I will get _no more complaining about waiting around._**

I'm reading a Space Heroes comic book in the dojo, sitting in front of the tree. Mikey and Donnie are doing some sparring. Mikey's stretching his legs and he stretches his arms with a big grin. Donnie gets into position and goes in to kick Mikey, who moves out of the way. He spins around to block arms with Donnie, who grabs his arm and Mikey flips. Donnie throws Mikey over his shoulder and he backflips safely onto the ground, laughing.

"Dude, what are you doing?" Donnie facepalms. "You don't defend against Seoi Nage with...backflips!"

"Why not?" Mikey asks in disbelief. "Backflips are where it's at!"

"Backflips can prove effective too, Donnie," I call out, raising an eyebrow.

"The best defense is to roll along my back, then take me to the ground and put me in an armlock. Unless of course I counter with a-"

"Hey man," Mikey interrupts with a smile. "You can't take the fire out of-" He yells as he backflips, wiggling his fingers near his head. "Dr. Flippenstein."

"I don't even know what that means," Donnie states in confusion as I shrug.

"Donnie, just because you know the best defense doesn't mean there aren't others. You can't just predict everything. Everyone has a different style of fighting," I explain and he ponders that, glancing at Splinter who just exited his room.

"Master Splinter," Donnie walks up to him, "What would you do if someone tried to throw you with Seoi Nage?"

"I don't know," Splinter answers truthfully.

"Come on, you must've planned a response for every attack!" Donnie argues, as Splinter is a ninja master.

"If you think too much about what is coming, you lose sight of what is. You must be fully in the moment so you can fight without thinking."

"Why would I wanna fight without thinking?" Donnie wonders and I sigh, facepalming as he's not getting the point.

"Allow Amelia to demonstrate," Splinter winks at me and I nod. "Prepare to defend against Seoi Nage!"

Instead of doing that, I knock Donnie down and hold his arm in a hold, planting my foot on his shell. "Ow! That wasn't Seoi Nage!" Donnie protests, Splinter chuckling as I grin.

"No, but you thought it would be," Splinter nods at me and I release Donnie, who sits up. "Now, would you like to defend against a spinning back kick?"

"No, I'm good," Donnie winces and Splinter walks away.

"Sorry, Donnie," I cringe at him and he waves it off.

"He asked you to, so I'm not angry at you."

Mikey laughs as he stands behind Donnie. "Know what would've worked there? Backflip!"

Donnie sighs at him.

* * *

I'm walking into the lab with the others and Donnie seems to be drawing something. "What you up to, Donnie?" Leo wonders and the turtle yelps in surprise as we're all looking over his paper. It's got pictures and connected lines like a subway map.

He sighs slowly, going back to lining up some things. "Just putting the finishing touches on my master plan."

"Master plan?" Raph asks in confusion as Donnie said that in a weird way.

"Yeah, to get April to hang out with me."

The other turtles all laugh and I don't, because I think it's adorable. Weird, but adorable. Personally, I'm curious to see what this plan is.

"Try this: April, do you want to hang out with me?" Leo replies and Donnie waves his marker.

"If anything, you could use one too! Watch when you ask me to make one for you-know-who!" Donnie retorts and I see Leo blushing for some reason. Who's he talking about? I don't think I know any other girls besides April and I already know Leo likes her as a friend. Besides, he wouldn't do that to Donnie. This...this is kinda bothering me now since I don't have a clue who it is, and...I thought Leo and I were getting close... "See, it's not that simple. I have to prepare for every possible response to maximize my chances of success." He makes it seem like it's an experiment rather than a definitive plan.

"Aw, that's so romantic," Mikey comments.

"Donnie, I commend your dedication. Really, I do. But all of this," I gesture to the plan. "Just to get a teenage girl to hang out with you? Why not just simply ask her?"

"Hm, maybe I should put in Amy as a factor since they're friends," Donnie murmurs as he draws another box. I look at the others in disbelief, a vein on my forehead. Donnie pushes his plan to us so that we can see. I think that was a movie poster from behind it. He clears his throat.

"For instance, if April says she can't because she has homework, then I will suggest an informal study session and serve healthy, brain-stimulating snacks," He gestures to the bottom of the board and I pinch my nose at him not getting the point. Donnie may be smart, but sometimes he can be a little oblivious to the truth. One of these days that's gonna be his downfall.

"I'm sorry, Donnie," I hold up my hands, "But there is no way that you thought of every single solution on this chart. It's just not possible."

"What if she says she can't because you're a total nerd?" Raph wonders and I elbow him in the arm. He grunts, glaring at me as he rubs his arm. "Dang, Amy, you hit hard."

"I'll take that as a compliment," I reply, crossing my arms.

"Ah, that's this thread here. I'll list my many non-nerdy qualities and suggest activities that will highlight my coolness, such as skateboarding or shark wrestling."

When did he go shark wrestling?

"Guys!" April suddenly comes into the room with her laptop handy. Donnie yelps and quickly moves his plan back to the movie poster, which is for Space Heroes 3.

"H-H-Hey Ap-April," He stammers, and she walks right past him.

"You guys gotta check this out," She opens her laptop and we gather around as she types away. Donnie smiles slightly at April, but she doesn't notice. We're watching a news interview.

"Renowned neuro-chemist Dr. Tyler Rockwell has been reported missing. I spoke with Rockwell's colleague, Dr. Victor Falco."

A man with a white lab coat, with gray hair that has white markings, brown shirt and pants, and a tie is speaking. "I hadn't heard from him in days, so I stopped by his lab. The place was a mess. He was gone. I...fear the worst."

"Police say they have-" April closes the laptop, ending the video there.

"So?" Raph asks expectantly, as this seems unrelated to finding her dad and my mom. My mom's not even involved with that type of work, so I don't see what her angle is here.

"So, if the Kraang have been kidnapping scientists from all over the city, including our parents!" April glances at me. "Maybe that's what happened to this Rockwell guy."

"Or they may not be connected at all," Leo places a hand on his chin.

"What if they're not even related?" I ask, "Something seems off about that Falco guy, though..."

"What do you mean?" Mikey wonders and I lean against Donnie's desk in thought.

"I don't know...his whole attitude sounds different than his words. I don't like it," I frown at them.

"Well, there's only one way to find out. We should go to that lab and look around," April suggests, which is Donnie's opportunity to 'hang out' with her.

"April's right," He speaks up, "We should go check it out. What's that? You guys are busy? Guess it's just the two of us, April," Donnie grins as he leads April away. He winks at us when April's not looking and Leo scoffs.

"I bet that wasn't on his flowchart," He turns the movie poster around, eyes widening. "Whoa, it is! That...is spooky." I see the drawing of him walking away with April who has a lollipop while the others are staring after them.

"I'm seriously questioning my morals now," I murmur.

Leo shakes his head, turning to me. "Let's go play pinball."

"Yay!" I cheer as I love that thing. "Get ready for me to kick your shell!"

"Oh snap, I wanna get in on this action now," Mikey comments as Raph is smirking.

"Yeah, it'll be nice to see Lameonardo lose for myself."

Leo scoffs at him. "I can beat her."

"We'll see," I smirk, turning to Raph and Mikey. "Get some popcorn, boys," I crack my hands. "This is gonna be good."

I stand in front of the pinball machine, as Leo insisted on me going first. I like that he still keeps his chivalry. You don't find most gentlemen like that nowadays. I smile as I look at the machine, Mikey munching on popcorn behind me.

"You two know the rules," Raph glances at the both of us. "Whoever gets the highest score wins."

"How about we make this more interesting?" I look up at Leo. "If I win...you have to tell me about you-know-who."

Leo's eyes widen in horror as Raph chuckles. "I like that idea."

"Um, w-well..." Leo stammers, rubbing his neck. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"Stop lying, Donnie mentioned her, and I wanna know," I deadpan, but I also wanna know why he likes her...and why he never told me about her. I feel kinda hurt that he kept this from me, it's like he betrayed me...

"Okay, fair enough. But if I win...you have to answer any personal question that I want."

"Ha! Good luck with that, Leo. She lives with us," Mikey points out.

"Even roommates have their secrets," Leo looks at him. Personally, I didn't care. There's nothing I can't answer, so even if I lose, it's a win-win for me. But then again, I wouldn't get to know who Leo supposedly has a thing for...

I start up the game and pull the lever, watching the ball soar. Mikey's cheering for me as I have a focused look on my face, my eyes bouncing around on the ball. I'm in the zone, you don't understand. I'm getting bonus points left and right here! The next thing I know, I've lost all of the balls and I'm left with 50,000 points.

"That was pretty good," Raph nods as I high three Mikey.

"Yes, but you forget that I'm the major Space Heroes fan here," Leo teases and I roll my eyes. He cracks his hands before he gets to playing. I lean against the machine as I can hear the noises.

"You're not gonna get that far you know," I tell him to try and break his concentration. "Eventually I'm gonna know who it is and then-"

"Done," Leo smirks, "Get ready to answer my question."

"What?" I look at the score to see he got 10 thousand more points than me. I pout at him. "This is gonna be awesome," Mikey grins and Leo looks at them like they're crazy.

"No. It has to be private, so we're going into her room," Leo points to the hallway. "Since I won, it's my rules."

"What? Fine," Raph grunts as we walk past them and I am sweating so hard, I can't even tell if Leo has noticed. I don't know what exactly is going to happen and whether or not it'll be embarrassing for me. But he wouldn't do that...would he? After all, he did win...

Leo lets me go through first and I sit down on my bed, biting my lip nervously. Leo turns around and chuckles at me. "Don't worry, I'll be nice."

"Ah ha...just go ahead and ask," I laugh nervously. Leo thinks about it for a few seconds and I rub my neck. I wish he would just get it over with already. He looks at me, as if he's trying to figure something out. I can't tell what, but he obviously wants to see something from me.

"...What do you look for in a man?"

"Huh?!" A blush is on my face. I was definitely not expecting that... "You're...basically asking me what I look for in a relationship."

"N-No, not really," Leo stammers, "I'm just...curious."

"Into my dating life?" I ask, a little skeptical. I know he said a personal question, but I don't see what any of that has to do with anything...still, I have to answer. I let out a sigh. "Well...he has to be into Space Heroes obviously. Strong...mature...and dedicated. Respectful. Protective. Courageous. When he holds me in his arms, I want to feel safe in them. I wouldn't really care what he looks like because it matters what's on the inside...I want...I want someone who will understand. Someone who wants to protect other people. Someone...who will like me for who I am."

I look up at Leo, who looks shocked at my description. Did I throw him off? He doesn't look too bothered by it at all.

"Leo?" I ask in concern and he snaps out of it.

"Y-Yeah?" He murmurs, making me worried now.

"Are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah! Yeah, uh," He clears his throat. "G-Good answer."

"Okay..." I say slowly, standing up. "I'm gonna go get you an ice pack."

"No, wait, I don't need-!" I close the door before he can argue with me. He was acting weird after I just explained all that...I hope he's okay.

* * *

As we're all hanging out in the living room except for Donnie and April, we hear grunting. We look up and see Donnie with bruises over him. He's also got scratches on his shell. April is helping him walk.

"Whoa, what happened?" Raph asks in concern.

"Donnie got beat up by a lab monkey," April explains and the rest of us glance at each other, unsure of what we just heard. Beat up...by a monkey? Donnie, beat up by a monkey? Donatello, the smart one, beat up by a monkey? I have my doubts.

Leo grabs Donnie's arm and puts it around his shoulder. "April, can you get an ice pack?" He asks her and she leaves to go get it. I help Leo get Donnie to the couch and we lay him down. "Donnie, you gonna be okay?"

"Eh, yeah, yeah, I'll be fine," Donnie groans and I pat him on the head.

"In that case..." The other turtles suddenly start laughing at him, Donnie blushing in embarrassment. I glare at them.

"You got beaten up by a monkey? In front of your girlfriend?" Raph asks, smiling widely.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Donnie denies, "And that monkey was a vicious mutant!"

"Yeah, I'm sure he went bananas!" Leo states, the others laughing again. I roll my eyes. "No, no, no, no, no," Leo holds out his hands. "He went ape!"

"Monkey!" Mikey exclaims while on the ground.

"Gee, thanks for caring about your brother. Yeah, real supportive," I deadpan at them.

"Oh, we care. We care a _lot_ ," Raph chuckles, "How do you not find that funny?"

"Because you're his brothers," I give them a look, "So being beaten up by a monkey is not something you can just laugh at."

"Thank you, Amy," Donnie says in relief.

"Shame on you. Just shameful," I scold and Leo looks a little guilty. I see April coming into the room and Raph signals for Mikey to stop laughing.

"No more monkey puns," He says and they keep a straight face, humming. April inspects them, sensing their blank looks. She places Donnie's head on her lap and he laughs at the closeness. Also because his brothers could stop laughing at him.

"Are you laughing at him because he's hurt?" April asks in disbelief.

"Amy wasn't laughing," Leo explains as Mikey bends down to us.

"No, we were laughing at him because he was hurt by a...monkey!" Mikey bursts into laughter, falling onto the ground. Leo and Raph join in and I roll my eyes, standing up.

"Forget you three," I wave them off as I walk over to my room. "Call me when they're not acting insane."

* * *

Later, Donnie is sulking in front of the pool. I know this because I had just stepped out for some tea and he's just sitting there. "I just don't get it. I mean, I'm a highly trained martial artist. How could I lose to something so...mindless," He throws a rock in the water and I place my hand on his shoulder. The contact makes him look up and Splinter joins my side.

"You are very intelligent," he says and I smile sympathetically at Donnie. "But in a fight, you cannot be up here," Splinter points to his head. Donnie stands up, shaking his head.

"But I just don't understand how you can fight without thinking," Donnie states and we all hear music. Turning our heads, we see Mikey dancing while listening to music. He's not even looking up, he's in his own world.

"Observe," Splinter simply replies and when Mikey gets to him, Splinter tries to punch him, but Mikey ducks underneath it. He backflips as Splinter tries to smack him, then he catches Splinter's incoming fist. Donnie gives a look of shock, as if he's never seen Mikey like this before. Well, Mikey is still a ninja, despite his personality and his absentmindedness at times, so I'm not that surprised...okay, maybe a little.

"See?" Splinter gestures to Mikey, who removes one of his headpieces from the headphones. "Mikey does not think."

"Thank you," Mikey points to Splinter and continues doing what he was doing.

"You're welcome." Splinter then trips Mikey with his tail.

"Ow!" He lands backwards onto a beanbag, his headphones falling off his ears.

"You must find the space between your thoughts and learn to live there. That's what Michelangelo does," Splinter gestures to Mikey.

"No offense, Sensei, but this is Donnie we're talking about," I lean in to whisper.

"True, and I heard that, but Mikey's got a lot more space between his thoughts than I do," We look at the turtle. Mikey sniffs something in his hand.

"Mm, pepperoni!" He eats it and I roll my eyes at him.

"Yes...well, Michelangelo has his challenges too."

"Unfortunately," I murmur as I walk past them and suddenly, I feel a puff of air from my mouth. I glance back at Splinter and Donnie, but they seem fine. I turn back around sharply and blow onto my hand. Ice comes from it...weird...

* * *

April is typing on her laptop when she suddenly looks up. "Guys, I think I found something." We all join her as Raph looks away from his magazine. "These notes are hard to follow, but it looks like Rockwell was able to modify the mutagen."

"Why would he do that?" Leo wonders.

"Wasn't he only paid to experiment with it?" I ask, looking at April. "Why modify something that was already simple to figure out?"

"He thought he could use it to create a neurochemical that would temporarily give someone psychic abilities," April explains as we look at the diagrams.

"You mean that monkey was psychic?" Raph asks in confusion.

"Now I've heard everything," I glance at Leo and Donnie.

"It's more like he was reading our emotions. After all, he was only hostile when Donnie was hostile."

"Yeah well next time I'll be sure to think friendly thoughts while I'm beating a little sunshine into him," Donnie punches his fists. I'm guessing he wants payback for the beat-down that monkey gave him. To be fair, it was a little embarrassing for him since April was there...

"Okay, we need to track him down before he attacks someone else," Leo looks at us seriously, holding up a dinger. "Let's go up to the surface, spread out, and search." Except just one thing, though...

"How are we gonna stay in contact?" Raph asks, as we don't have a way to warn each other. Donnie grins knowingly as he stands up, hands on his belt.

"I have a little something that might help," He stands in front of us. "Gentlemen, and ladies," He gestures to April and I. "I give you...the T-Phone!" He holds out a shell-shaped phone that rings. Mikey pouts, standing up.

"Dude, I'm in charge of naming stuff. I would've called it...the T-Phone," He waves a hand in bliss.

"I did call it the T-Phone," Donnie glances at it.

"Yeah, but I would've called it the T-Phone," Mikey sags and Raph punches him from behind. "Ow!"

"You'll get 'em next time, Mikey," I smile down at him as I hold out a hand. He takes it and I help him up.

"And April," Donnie stands in front of the girl. She glances up at him, Raph having this look on his face that says 'don't do it.' "If you give me your cell number, I can patch you into our network."

"Sweet!" April takes the phone without a second thought and Donnie pumps his fist as she's doing that.

"Ha! See that? I got her number."

"Her number's on the fridge, you dork," Raph informs him and I facepalm with a sigh.

"Dude, even Leo doesn't try that hard to get A-"

Leo pushes Mikey away, laughing nervously at me. "Acupuncture! He means acupuncture!" I raise an eyebrow at them weirdly and so does April.

"Acupuncture. O...kay then."

Raph and Donnie facepalm while Mikey shakes his head slowly. I glance at the photo on the website, narrowing my eyes. Something about this doesn't sit right...I don't know exactly what, but I feel that this whole 'psychic' thing is a total wash.

"Hm," I murmur to myself and everyone looks at me.

"Something wrong?" Leo asks me.

"I'm wondering if Rockwell even had a monkey in his lab...why even have one if the experiment was to give someone temporary psychic abilities? Why not experiment it on himself? You think he would since he's a scientist. I'm calling bull on it because I don't see a single piece of physical evidence that a monkey was in that lab."

"Mm," Donnie places a hand underneath his chin. "You do make a good point..."

* * *

April is running down the street as we try to keep an eye on the monkey. "Guys, someone just spotted the monkey on Bleeker."

"I think I'm on his trail," Raph reports and I'm running on the rooftops, looking around for anything suspicious.

"Mikey, the monkey is headed your way!" Leo warns, but Mikey does not respond. I jump across to the next rooftop.

"I've got eyes on him. He's headed south on Delancey!" Raph informs from his T-Phone.

"I'm on Houston!" Donnie exclaims, "I'll cut him off!"

"I'm close-by, we'll surround him!" I say to Donnie as I see the monkey up front. Donnie slides to a stop and I lose sight of him.

"Where'd he go?" He looks up at me and I shrug helplessly. I have a feeling he knows that we're trying to track him, so he may be trying to lose us on purpose.

"He changed direction," Leo says and I jump down to the alley.

"He knows we're after him," I reply into the phone.

"Mikey, the monkey is headed your way!" Leo repeats, with Mikey probably not focusing since, you know...it's Mikey. I look up as I pass the fortune cookie factory to see him, and my assumptions are correct as he was playing on his phone.

"I'm on it!" He throws his skateboard onto the street and I jump on behind him, following after the monkey. He spins his nunchucks and throws the chain, but it wraps around a pole as the monkey turned a corner. Mikey screams and I jump off just in time as Mikey slams his cheek against the pole. I bend down to him.

"Mikey, you okay?"

He gives me a weak thumbs up in response. I take off into a run and I see Raph jumping down the fire escape. He uses a nearby lamp post to land onto the streets and we both follow the monkey. It jumps over a fence and Raph cups his hands. I plant my feet on them and he launches me over the fence. Leo joins us and we all meet up at an intersection.

"Anybody see where we went?" Leo asks.

"I thought he headed off in that direction," Donnie points to the left.

"I thought it was that way," Raph points right. Leo, Donnie, and Raph start arguing wihle Mikey calls out for the monkey.

"Here monkey, monkey, monkey, monkey!"

April starts walking away and I raise an eyebrow, following after her. She opens a dumpster door and I peek in to see the monkey covering his head in fear. He turns to see us and April holds out a hand to him. I smile and do the same. He just wants to be left alone...

He seems to understand that we want to help him, because he holds out his hands toward us. We help him out of there and April smiles at him. Suddenly, Mikey's chain flies past us, capturing the monkey, who gets irritated.

"Ha, got ya that time!"

"Great. We got the monkey," Raph states as April approaches the monkey. I think she's seeing something that I'm not. "But we're not any closer to finding Dr. Rockwell." The monkey screeches and April inspects him.

"Actually, we're a lot closer than you think," April finally speaks, turning to us.

"What? How?" Donnie asks curiously.

"I think this IS Dr. Rockwell," April gestures to the monkey.

* * *

We're in Rockwell's lab, where he's going crazy. He must hate being restrained. Dr. Falco inserts a sedative into him. "There. That should calm him down a little. Poor Rockwell."

"Is there any way to get him back to normal?" April wonders as we stare at them.

"I wouldn't even know where to begin," Dr. Falco states uncertainly. "But I'll see if there's a way to give him some semblance of a normal life." He caresses Rockwell's face and we glance at each other due to his tone. We need to keep a close eye on him...

* * *

Donnie is on his laptop while Mikey is playing a game on his T-Phone. Raph is out getting us some dinner. I'm sipping on some tea that Leo recommended to me. I suddenly feel a chill, shuddering. Leo glances at me. "You okay, Amy?"

"Yeah, I just felt...cold all of a sudden," I murmur in confusion.

"I didn't feel anything," April states, shrugging.

"Huh," Leo murmurs to himself.

"Man, this asteroid level is tough. I just can't beat it."

Raph arrives with the pizza box. "Pizza's here!" He announces and places down the box, opening it. Leo and Donnie take a slice. The smell of it gets to Mikey's nose and his eyes widen.

"Must eat pizza," He leans down and eyes the pepperoni pizza. "But can't stop playing. But must eat pizza. But can't stop playing. But must eat pizza!" He lets out a scream before he grabs a slice with his mouth, swallowing it.

Leo, April, and I were staring at him the whole time and Leo turns to us. "Sorry we didn't get any closer to finding your parents, girls."

"It's okay," April waves it off. "Everything we learn about the Kraang is another piece of the puzzle."

"Besides, we know we'll rescue them...it'll just take time," I tell Leo and he smiles in relief, closing his eyes. April glances at me with a smirk and I give her a look that says 'Shut up.'

"Yeah, but psychic research? This is one weird puzzle," Leo comments as Splinter walks up to April, holding a plate that has a slice of pizza.

"I am curious, April. How did you know the monkey was really a human? And why is it that Amelia did not have the same assumption?" he asks. April and I glance at each other, with April shrugging.

"I dunno. Sometimes I just...get a feeling about things," She explains, placing a hand on her cheek.

"I don't really know why I didn't sense anything. I guess I don't get a feeling about things like this," I shrug cluelessly.

"A feeling? Hm. Interesting." Splinter looks down and gasps. "Amelia...your hand."

"What about my-" I look at my hand and gasp. My hand...is glowing blue. Everyone stares at it as I do nothing, not knowing what to do. There's nothing in the books about how to deal with glowing, blue hands!

Suddenly it fades, leaving us all confused. "What was that?" Raph asks in shock.

"I...don't know..." I murmur, inspecting my hand.

Leo notices that Donnie hasn't said a word and he has not touched the pizza. He's doing something on his laptop, and it must be important given his face.

"Hey Donnie, how come you're not eating?" Leo wonders as I take a bite out of my slice.

"What? Uh, I'm not hungry," Donnie waves it off. "Something that Amy said earlier bothers me."

"I beg your pardon?" I ask in defense, looking at him. When did I ever say anything to him that would make him all rattled? I'm not Raph.

"No, not like that," Donnie denies, a finger underneath his chin. "Falco said that Rockwell was experimenting on a monkey, and Amy wondered if he had one."

"And?" Leo asks expectantly, wanting to know where Donnie's going with this.

"Well, according to these notes, he never had a monkey in his lab," Donnie explains and I look over to his laptop. "He was just using samples of monkey DNA."

"We're still not following you," Leo informs him.

"If he never had a monkey like Amy suspected, what broke out of that cage?" Donnie points out.

"It must've been Rockwell!" Raph confirms.

"Which means Falco put him there and he's been lying this whole time!" Donnie says, Raph, Leo, and I glancing at each other. We have to put a stop to this and confront him, before he does something to seriously injure Rockwell.

"Can I just say..." I stand up, pointing at them. "I was right, I was right, I was-"

"Okay, fine, we get it," Raph interrupts in annoyance.

* * *

We arrive to see Dr. Falco standing in front of Rockwell. Judging by the amount of liquid left in that syringe, he's already used it to give himself psychic powers.

"Alright, Falco! We've had enough of your-"

"Do not say 'monkeying around'," Raph warns him.

"I wasn't going to!" Leo denies and I chuckle slightly.

"Yes, you were," Dr. Falco states, walking up to us.

"It's over, Falco. We know it was you who mutated Rockwell!" Donnie accuses, pointing a finger at him.

Falco glances at Rockwell, who is unconscious. "I used him as a guinea pig," He grins evilly.

"Well it didn't work. You turned him into a monkey." Donnie and Leo glance at Mikey, grimacing.

"Mikey. Mikey, no," I place a hand on his shoulder. "I'll explain it to you later."

"The psychic neurochemical I extracted from his mutant brain is changing me. Your minds are opening up to me!"

"So this was your plan all along," Donnie says.

"Of course. No man can defeat you when you know his every thought," Falco answers confidently, clenching his fist. That's a little too creepy for my liking.

"Oh really? Then you must know I'm gonna smack-"

"Smack the white off my lab coat? How humorous!" Falco interrupts Raph, chuckling.

"Lucky guess!" Raph charges at the man with a yell, about to kick him, but Falco moves out of the way like it was nothing. "What?" Falco eggs him on by curling a finger and Raph tries attacking again, but Falco dodges every single time. Eventually, Raph gets tired and Falco laughs, wiggling his finger as he clicks his teeth. Raph swings his leg for another kick, but Falco grabs one of his sais and uses the hilt to hit Raph on the head with it. He then kicks Raph, who crashes into us.

He hears a shing and dodges Leo's swords. Mikey, Donnie, and I stand up.

"Whoa, it's like he's psychic," Mikey says in awe and I facepalm.

"He is psychic, shell-brain. That's what he just said!" Donnie gestures to Falco.

"Oh, yeah. I kinda tuned out when he did his whole 'I'm evil, blah blah blah' thing," Mikey chuckles slightly.

Leo swings his swords back and forth at the scientist, but Falco captures his sword with Raph's sai. He throws the swords towards us three and we jump out of the way. Leo glances at me, gritting his teeth before he looks up, Falco knocking him out with Raph's sai.

"Leo!" I exclaim in fear for his state.

"How are we going to defeat him if he can read our minds?" Donnie asks Mikey and I.

"No prob," Mikey shrugs at him, "I'm good at this. I just have to fight without thinking!" Mikey's eyes shrink. "Wait a minute, how do I fight without thinking? Oh no! Now I'm thinking about not thinking!" Suddenly, he gets hit from behind by Falco, who grins at us. I gulp and pull out my sword. If I attack using my normal techniques, he'll see that coming, so what can I do to get us out of this?

Falco raises his fist and punches me, knocking me towards the wall and I fall onto the cold floor, unconscious.

I wasn't sure how long I was out when I heard a voice. "Amy. Amy, wake up."

"Hmm," I slowly open my eyes to see the turtles looking down at me. They all look concerned. "What happened?"

"You got knocked out, but you should be fine," Donnie smiles softly at me. "Thank you, Amy."

"For what?" I ask in confusion as the others help me sit up.

"Your advice. There really are different ways of fighting," He shows his gap tooth and I chuckle, standing up. I dust the dirt off of me.

"Nice work, Donnie," Raph grins at him.

"Ha," Mikey's holding a canister of mutagen. "What did I tell you about those backflips, huh? Pretty cool."

Donnie rolls his eyes. "Now that we have the ooze, let's see what Falco knows about the Kraang," We turn to the cage, our mouths opening in shock as there's no one there. I'm assuming that's where Donnie put Falco. "Falco's gone!"

We hear struggling and turn to the monkey. "What do we do about him?" Mikey wonders, turning to us.

Donnie and I set him free. "There. You're free now," I smile down at him and he goes over to the window, but not before he looks at us.

"I'm no psychic, but I think he's trying to thank us," Donnie smiles slightly. The monkey then leaves, but Raph still looks a little skeptical.

"Um, if he reacts to angry thoughts, is New York City _really_ the best place for him?"

We suddenly hear a car and screaming outside. "Hey, monkey! Get out of the street!" Then there's a crash and another one as someone is screaming.

"I'm sure he'll be okay," Leo says slowly.

"You sure about that?" I glance at him as we can hear more screaming. I just hope he knows what's he doing...

* * *

April and I are sitting with Splinter in the dojo, to talk about what happened earlier with the monkey. I'm sitting next to him. "April, it seems you have a rare gift, a sensitivity I have trained my entire life to develop."

"Don't worry. You'll get it," April says in sympathy.

"I did, it just took me a long time!" He elaborates and I laugh.

"That's nothing to be ashamed of," April replies and I cover my hand, snorting. Splinter sighs slowly.

"What I am trying to say, is that I would like to train you to be a kunoichi, a female ninja like Amelia." My eyes widen in delight. Finally, I won't be the only kunoichi anymore! Sometimes Raph likes to brag that because I'm a kunoichi in training, I'm not as skilled as them. And then I would punch him or knock him down.

"Wow! That's quite an honor!" April exclaims in shock, smiling at me. "If I do this, does that mean I can kick everybody's butt?"

"We don't believe in using our abilities that way," Splinter tells her.

"It's more like self-defense," I whisper to her. But sometimes there is some butt-kicking involved, patent pended.

"Oh, oh yeah! Me neither," April looks away, slightly embarrassed. "But I could, right?"

"Yes," Splinter chuckles and I wink at her. "But I warn you, it will be the hardest thing you've ever done. It will drain you mentally, physically, and spiritually."

"Well, can't be worse than high school," April shrugs, smiling slightly. "And if Amy can do it, so can I. I'll catch up to her in no time!"

"Erm...I'm almost at the turtles' progress," I murmur sheepishly, her eyes widening.

"What? But at last time I remember, you were still learning the basics!"

"Amelia is very gifted and driven in her training. Just like..." Splinter pauses and I raise an eyebrow. "Nevermind. But yes, Amelia has made outstanding progress and I wish her the best in keeping up with my sons."

Just like who? Do I remind him of someone? By the tone in his voice, it seems like I know this person...I wonder why he decided not to say anything.

Deciding not to pry, I stand up and I walk out of the dojo with April. Donnie leans against the door of his lab. "Hey April. You, uh, wanna hang out tonight?"

I glance at April, trying to hide my grin. "Uh, that sounds great, Donnie, but I can't. I'm training with Splinter to become a kunoichi like Amy!" She hugs me and I smile sheepishly at Donnie, urging him to go on.

"Oh," He then glances away, looking at something, probably his flowchart. "If training with Splinter," he murmurs to himself before going back to her. "Ah." He clears his throat. "Well then, maybe we can train together sometime."

I wink at him, giving him a thumbs up.

"Sounds great!" April agrees and walks away. I high three Donnie. While I still don't believe he had every solution on that chart, I also support him in his relationship with April.

"You see?" Donnie laughs at Raph, who's reading a magazine. "My flowchart is awesome! Ow!"

Raph rolls his eyes while Donnie is cheering. Truly a big step in getting April to like him.


	8. Never Say Xever

**Angel: I'm on episode 16, so I'm close to finishing this story! Yay! I'll probably post on Friday and then next Monday. I do have to write the next episode for Rise of TMNT, though, so I'm not gonna update this over the weekend.**

April and I are walking near the Argosy Theater, but we're not alone. You see, April wanted to show us this noodle place she found, and I hear the food is supposed to be pretty good. Me, I'm more of an Italian food person, but I'm open to try anything that's edible. It's supposed to be Japanese-inspired, so I'm pretty sure that it'll be worth trying. Japanese food has started to become one of my favorites after the turtles and Splinter introduced me to some things, especially Leonardo. If there's one thing he loves as much as Space Heroes, it's teaching others about Japanese culture. He even teaches me how to speak some simple words.

April comes to a stop, turning around. "You guys wanna speed it up a little?"

"Are you saying turtles are slow?" Donnie asks from behind us.

"That's a hurtful stereotype," Mikey says in a hurt tone. Leo chuckles near the movie posters.

"Trust us, girls. We are better off keeping a low profile. We find people treat us better when they don't know we exist," He glances at us knowingly.

"But I know you exist, and I still treat you like people," I shrug carelessly and suddenly everyone is staring at me like I just did something amazing. "What?"

"Nothing," Donnie denies immediately.

"Sorry. I'm just so excited to get you out of the sewer for a change," April explains to Leo, smiling.

"What are you talking about? We go out all the time," Raph says in a duh tone, raising a brow.

"Yeah, but tonight you're going to do something besides hitting people," April tells him and Raph sags.

"Aww."

I chuckle at him. Raph prefers fighting than anything else, really. It's his lifestyle.

"Don't worry. You're going to love this noodle place I found," April states, hands on her hips.

"And you're sure we'll be welcome?" Donnie asks nervously, tapping his fingers against the ticket booth.

"Oh yeah. Mr. Murakami doesn't care what you look like. In fact, he won't even know what you look like. He's blind," April answers.

"Awesome!" Mikey cheers, Raph smacking him. "Ow! I mean, for us, obviously." He grins widely and Raph glances at me. I roll my eyes.

"That still implies that it's great a man is blind," I murmur, shaking my head as I walk past April. As we're near our destination, we see that someone is being attacked.

"Oh no!" April exclaims and we run to get a closer look.

"Who are those creeps?" Donnie asks as there's two slim men and one larger one attacking who I assume is Murakami. They're breaking glassware and trashing up the place.

"The Purple Dragons," April replies as the larger man breaks a neko cat figurine. "They think they own the streets around here."

The larger man glances at the slim one with the beard and vest, who taps Murakami on the shoulder. Murakami turns around and knocks the man back with a small cutting board. His comrades laugh until the man slams his hands on the table. Judging by his movements, he must be their leader. He narrows his eyes and slaps Murakami onto the ground. He grabs Murakami by the ear and throws him around. I flare up my nostrils, clenching a fist.

"We have to put a stop to this! They're practically terrorizing that poor man!" I exclaim in slight anger. What's got me upset is that they're vandalizing the place and that they're attacking a man who can't see.

"So much for not hitting people tonight," Leo states and Raph grins, shrugging.

"Oh well!"

We barge into the place. "Booyakasha!" Mikey exclaims as we stand in front of them. They look confused to see us, probably because of their appearance.

"Alright, let him go," Leo demands, narrowing his eyes. "You don't want any trouble."

"We, on the other hand, do," Raph grins.

"Whoa, those guys were serious. There really are giant turtles," The leader says to his fellow members.

"You've heard of us?" Mikey asks curiously with a big grin. He turns to us, "Dudes, dudette, we're famous!"

"That's bad!" Donnie reminds him.

"Oh. Right."

"Who's the babe?" The leader asks and I grunt in annoyance.

"Babe?!"

I hear Raph and Leo growl lowly at the name. "Whatever you are, this neighborhood is ours. So why don't you slither back to the ocean you came from?"

"Actually, we're freshwater turtles," Donnie corrects, Leo and Raph glancing at him. "Except for Amy, I suspect we're derived from the diamondback terrapin, but it's possible we're a common box-"

"Get 'em!" The leader demands. One of them with a hammer attacks first, with Leo ducking underneath it so Mikey can jump on his shell and spin, kicking the man. He spins around as he hits the wall. He goes to attack again, but Raph jumps in and hits him in the face. Mikey kicks the larger one and when he goes to attack Donnie, he sweeps his leg so he falls to the ground. Mikey turns around and sees a soup in front of him. He punches the man from behind, Donnie kneeing him in the stomach. Mikey kicks him and Donnie punches him in the stomach.

April is crawling away so she can help Murakami. She looks up and sees the thug with the hammer coming towards Mikey. She throws a lid at him and he goes down, Mikey looking down at him. He gives April a thumbs up.

"Thanks April!"

"You're welcome," April waves at him. She helps Murakami. "Duck!" She yells as she ducks, a plate being thrown to the doorway. She leads the man out as a thug crashes against the wall. Donnie jumps backwards, dodging left and right from the larger man and kicking him over to the counter. That leaves Leo and I with the leader, who has a butcher's knife as a weapon. We stare at him and he charges forward, but I spin around and kick the knife out of his hand. Leo punches him twice before kicking him to the counter. We slide over to him and I pick him up by the vest so that we can finish him off. Leo goes in for the punch, but I stop him, as he looks pitiful...

He's had enough, so I think we should just let him go. Leo seems to understand that too as he nods at me. I let go of him, to his confusion.

"Get out of here," Leo gestures to the door. The leader pushes past us.

"Thanks sweetheart. I'll remember this moment," He says to me and Leo clenches a fist. Yeah, I'm still not gonna let him beat up this man because I think he should save it until another time.

He jumps down from the counter, helping up his friends. "Come on, let's go." He glances at us and points to the turtles. "This ain't over, greeny and Pinkie!"

"Greeny? Really? I wonder how many brain cells he put to work on that," Donnie crosses his arms.

"First it's some dead-beat spider with this stupid nickname," I jump off the counter. "And now it's a lowly street punk? How does that even happen?"

"You two just let him go? What the heck was that?" Raph demands angrily.

"They weren't exactly a threat," Leo tells him. "They'd had enough."

"Yeah, they were actually kind of lame," I explain.

"Guys! They were beating up a blind guy! There's no enough! Now they'll think we're wimps and we don't have the guts to finish the job!" Raph shouts, glaring at us. Leo looks away, looking a little conflicted. I glance away, as this was kind of my fault...but then again, they weren't that strong. We didn't even use our weapons on them...so did I do the right thing by stopping Leo? Or did I just tarnish their image by making that decision?

"Wow, that was great you guys," April comments as she escorts Murakami back inside.

"Thanks, April. Did you see when I caught the one guy and flipped him onto the counter? Did it look cool? I bet it looked cool," Donnie asks, chuckling and looking at April for a compliment.

"The coolest," April smiles widely, looking away and then back at him.

"You didn't see it, did you?" Donnie asks knowingly.

"No I did not," April admits and he looks away. Maybe he should've waited until she was actually present, or maybe when she wasn't helping a guy out. I give him my compliments for trying, though.

"My friends, I'm indebted to you," Murakami speaks up, gesturing to himself. "Please, allow me to make you a meal. Free of charge."

Raph slowly smiles. "I think we can allow that."

"What is your favorite food?"

"And in 3, 2, 1," I whisper to April.

"PIZZA!" The turtles all exclaim happily.

* * *

Murakami gets to work and he proves to be very fast. He makes sure that no pot is burning and he adds spices. He slams a table so he can cut dough into pieces in the air.

"Murakami-san, that was awesome!" Donnie cheers.

"You're like a ninja, but for food," Mikey comments, making Murakami smile. He serves us dumplings on a wooden plate, one for me and each turtle.

"Pizza gyoza," He announces, April staring at it in confusion.

"Pizza gyoza?" Mikey pokes at it and we all try a dumpling in unison. Our eyeballs fall off our faces in amazement.

"Mmm."

"Wow."

"Delish!"

"It's like I got a one-way ticket to flavorville!"

"This is the best dumpling I've ever had," I smile, pointing my chopstick at them.

April holds up a bowl of soup. "This is really good too, you know."

The turtles and I ignore her and continue eating, humming in delight. It's like all of the ingredients are in this simple tiny dumpling, I love it.

"Uh, Murakami-san, do the Purple Dragons come around a lot?" Leo asks curiously. I glance at the chef, wondering if this has happened before. I don't see why, he's amazing at what he does and he was practically defenseless against them. It wasn't fair.

Murakami sighs at the question. "Yes. They demand protection money, but I refuse to pay. They will surely return."

"Well they wouldn't if somebody hadn't wimped out," Raph glares at Leo and he closes his eyes. I punch him in the arm. "Ow!" He rubs it, glaring at me. I could care less if he gets mad at me, because Leo is...he's honorable. I'd like to think that Raph could show some respect for that since he's a ninja too.

Mikey snatches the rest of Leo's gyoza and his older brother glares at him. Mikey finishes the dumplings, grinning. I sigh, shaking my head as I hold out my plate.

"Here, have some of mine."

"But those are yours. I wouldn't want to take food from a lady," He waves his hands and I blush. He's so considerate to me...

"You're still hungry, right?" I ask and he thinks it over, nodding slowly. "Okay then, so I'd be helping you. Take them, Leo. Please."

"Just do it, Romeo," Raph says under his breath and my cheeks turn pink. Leo's cheeks are pink too and he holds up his hands in defeat.

"Alright, alright. You win, Amy. But only because it's you."

What does that mean...?

* * *

Later, after we've returned home, Leo is using the punching bag, and quite vigorously, I might add. I can sense his frustration from the earlier events. "Whoa, whoa, Leo. I think he's had enough," Raph pushes the dummy slightly, mocking Leo. "You better let him go."

"I get it. You're making fun of me for not mercilessly pummeling a helpless man," Leo stares down at his brother.

"Yes, I am," Raph replies and I sigh, standing up.

"Raph, that's enough...I'm actually the one who suggested that we stand down," I state, everyone staring at me like I came from another planet. Donnie and Mikey drop their reading materials in shock. To be honest, his comments didn't bother me. I knew what I was doing when I let him go. I'm not going to apologize for that. Raph scoffs at me after a few seconds.

"I should've known. See, this is what happens when we add a girl to the team! Do you understand what that might do to us?" Raph gestures to himself. "You showed weakness. Those guys only understand one language."

"Chinese?" Mikey asks curiously, looking up from his comic book.

Raph jumps so that he's standing in front of him. "No. Fists," He shows Mikey his fist.

"What about feet?" Mikey wiggles his toes and Raph sighs slowly.

"They understand feet."

"That would make them bilingual," Donnie speaks up from behind Raph.

"Argh!" Raph groans, placing his hands on his head in frustration. "The point is, we can't go soft on them!

"To show mercy is not soft," Splinter suddenly appears. "It is a sign of true strength."

"But sensei, they're criminals," Raph points out, "This is war!"

"A Daimyo of the 16th century once said 'in times of peace, never forget the possibility of war. In times of war, never forget compassion.' " Splinter recites, smiling.

"I'm guessing that guy lost a lot of wars," Raph comments and Splinter narrows his eyes, swinging his staff in front of Raph. He gasps, but Splinter just holds the end of it in front of his face.

"You see? Mercy." He then smacks Raph's arm with the staff. So much for compassion and mercy.

"Ow! Okay, look, compassion is great, especially if you're Amy," Raph gives me a look. "But the Purple Dragons are not going to leave Murakami alone."

"So we'll track down the Dragons and make sure they got the message," Leo says, "And if they didn't, we'll send them one." He punches his fists together. "Special delivery."

"Was that meant to sound tough or stupid?" Raph asks in confusion.

"How are we gonna track someone down when we can't talk to anybody?" Donnie questions and we look to each other, knowing a few people who could. I walk away to call April, but a hand stops me by placing it on my shoulder. I turn around to see Leo, eyes widening. He must want to tell me that they don't want me to tarnish the image they're supposed to keep up. I sigh, closing my eyes.

"Look, I understand that you might be mad for me not wanting to pummel that guy, but-"

"Oh, no," He shakes his head rapidly. "That's not what I wanted to say at all. I just wanted to say...thank you, Amy, but you didn't have to tell Raph that it was you. I would prefer it if he left you alone...you didn't have to take the blame for me. I'll just tell him the truth and he'll apologize to you...probably."

I chuckle slightly. "Leo, you don't need to do that for me. I can handle Raph. I'm not worried about him being angry at me for what I did..."

"But I want to," He gestures to himself. "I can't let you take the rap for me and just leave you to be mocked by him. It goes against my honor, and...you're a good friend...it's not fair to you. You've been so nice to us ever since we met."

I smile at him. He's so sweet...even when I don't want him to be when it comes to stuff like this. "It may not be fair to you, but...I honestly don't want you guys to look weak just because you have a girl on the team. Let Raph say what he wants to and-"

"Stop," Leo interrupts as he holds up a hand. "Amy, you are not changing our image. You're our friend, and there's nothing you could do to change that. You're already like...like family to the others, and...I've never had someone like you who likes the same things as I do. So please don't worry about it, alright?"

Oh wow...no one's ever said that about me before...I smile, touching where my heart is. My heart is pounding.

"I'll handle Raph," Leo smiles softly at me. "But thank you for trying to protect me."

"Of course...I'm gonna call April now."

"Oh, uh, right!" He laughs nervously and now I feel awkward too. "You, uh, you do that, you...good phone-caller you!"

I glance at him weirdly before giggling to myself. Sometimes he could be adorable when he stammers...

* * *

A man is sweeping in front of his store when April taps his shoulder. She glances around before leaning in towards the shopkeeper. I'm wearing a pair of black sunglasses like a boss. "We're looking for the Purple Dragons."

"I don't know what you're talking about," the shopkeeper denies, but I can already tell that he's lying. April looks around before she leans in.

"Don't worry, we can protect you. We're undercover cops," She whispers and I nod curtly.

"You look like you're 16!" The shopkeeper states and April looks at me before she looks at her fingers.

"We know, we're really good at this."

"Plastic surgery, buddy. Never fails," I cross my arms. April knocks down the fish and stands back up, blushing in embarrassment.

"Let me see a badge," The shopkeeper says suspiciously and April scoffs.

"Are you crazy? We can't carry a badge. That would blow our cover."

"I suppose that makes sense," The shopkeeper scratches the side of his head, April and I smirking.

* * *

After getting the information we needed, the turtles and I stand near a tattoo place. "April said this was the place," Leo says.

"Cool. Can we get tattoos?" Mikey asks excitedly. "I wanna get one of my face on my face," He demonstrates a goofy looking version of his face. "It'll be like I'm wearing a mask and the mask is me!" We all stare at him. "I just blew your minds, right?"

"You know they use needles for that," Donnie points out and I shudder at the thought of using needles on my own face. I wouldn't get a tattoo anyway, it's not me.

"Can it, dorks! There he is," Raph whispers and we see the leader walking out of the tattoo place. He starts walking down the street and we follow after him from the rooftops. He eventually goes inside a fortune cookie factory and we all stand near the water tower in the shadows. Leo makes a gesture that we charge in and we smash through the window, landing in front of the Purple Dragons, Bradford, and his flirty Brazilian friend.

"Freeze, dirtbags!" Leo declares and the two ninjas step up to us. "Uh oh."

"I think we can find them ourselves," The Brazilian states. The Purple Dragons must've gotten their intel from them. That's how they know about us! Man, I didn't see that coming.

"Oh man, this is awkward. It's Chris Bradford, my ex-friend," Mikey narrows his eyes. Honestly, I think he's the only one who's feeling awkward by all of this. "And that other guy."

"The name is Xever. So you don't forget, I'll write it on your shells and beautiful comrade..." 'Xever' shows two butterfly knives in his hands. "With these."

The battle begins, with the larger Purple Dragon being knocked out. Their leader charges at Leo and I from behind and we throw him into the wall, with his face crashing into it. Leo points his sword at him.

"You're making me sorry we let you go," Leo threatens and I turn around to see Xever running up to us with his knives. I sweep my leg, but he hits us anyway, knocking us down the stairs. "Amy, you okay?" Leo looks down at me and I nod.

"I'm fine...Leo, look out!"

He looks up to see Xever jumping towards us. Leo hugs my waist with one arm and we roll out of the way. Xever lands on the machine and hits Leo in the head with his legs. Leo's eyes widen as Xever smirks at us, but Raph knocks him down, landing against the wall. He lands on the conveyor belt and pulls out his sais, spinning them. Leo and I appear from the other side and Xever twirls his knives, looking at all of us.

Mikey jumps onto something and blows a raspberry, turning to see Donnie struggling with Bradford. Donnie smacks him a couple of times, spinning his staff, but Bradford kicks him down and picks him up by the shell.

Mikey spins his chain, but Bradford catches it, looking at the two turtles. He pulls the chain, grabbing Mikey and jumping, knocking the both of them down with his strength. Suddenly, the ninjas that we battled before barge in. Leo, Raph, and I back away as Xever grins at them.

"Turtles and Amy, fall back!" Leo orders, Raph looking at him.

"We're giving up? Again?" We all deflect some throwing stars. "Are you kidding me?"

"Yes," Leo sheathes his swords. "It's all part of my hilarious 'let's all live' routine." He picks me up bridal style, surprising me. He jumps to the ceiling, jumping over the ninjas and flipping to the window. The turtles all jump out of the window we crashed through.

"Hey! Stay and fight, you cold-blooded cowards!" Xever calls out. I look up at Leo, who isn't fazed by the insult. I just hope...I just hope that there's something I could do...

* * *

The turtles are all moping around from our recent fight. "Man," Raph says after the silence has been unbearable. "Could that fight have been any more embarrassing?" He punches the dummy.

"Sure. We could have been hit in the face with pies," Mikey suggests, Raph growling.

"It's called fighting smart, Raph," Leo stands up. "The Purple Dragons have Bradford and Xever on their side now. Last time, we barely beat those guys."

The Purple Dragons do have an advantage since they're allied with ninjas now...but still, not that good of a threat. It's basically a no-brainer that those guys are the weakest villains I've ever seen, we didn't even break a sweat, so I don't understand why he cares so much about them.

"Yeah, because they're willing to fight to the finish," Raph looks at Leo in the face. "The only way to beat them is to be just as ruthless as they are!"

"Raphael." Raph's eyes widen as Splinter appears yet again. "This Xever can cross lines that you won't. This may make him dangerous, but it does not make him strong."

"But Xever wins fights. Isn't that what matters?" Raph wonders, "And he never shows anyone mercy." He crosses his arms stubbornly and Leo ponders his words. I sigh and walk past them to my room before I glance back to make sure they're not looking at me. I sneak past them and jump over the turnstiles, running down the tracks. I need to clear my head about all of this...maybe I should visit Murakami and see how he's doing. Maybe he'll make more pizza gyoza and I'll bring it back to the guys so they can calm down. They need it after the fight we had.

 **~Leo~**

Should I have shown mercy to him? Did I really show true strength by letting him go? Then again, it's Raph, so of course he would have a problem with it...I can't believe Amy tried to take the blame for me...she's so considerate, but I don't need her to handle my problems for me. She could get hurt and I don't want that for her...

"Hey, guys, where's Amy?" Mikey brings me out of my thoughts and I find myself blushing. I just...can't help but feel content with her. Then I register what Mikey asked and look around as Amy is nowhere to be seen.

"Weird, she didn't mention leaving," Donnie says as Splinter raises an eyebrow.

"Amelia!" He calls out, turning towards our rooms but she doesn't appear.

"Amy!" I yell in slight worry.

"Where'd she go?" Raph asks in confusion and I bite my lip nervously. Amy isn't supposed to be on the surface without us, what if she gets kidnapped by the Kraang...or worse?

"S-She probably just needed some space..." I stammer, but even I know that I'm lying. She wouldn't go out without at least one of us. If anything, she'd sit on the staircase and look out the manhole cover, or she'd be in Donnie's lab if she really wanted some peace and quiet. Or...she'd watch or read Space Heroes with me...

I frantically pull out my T-Phone, looking at Amy's contact picture. She's looking up at the camera that I had pointed at her while eating a chocolate bar, her favorite. She looked so cute...and so happy despite her mother's kidnapping not too long ago...I press dial and wait.

"Come on, pick up, pick up," I mutter to myself as everyone else is staring at me.

"Hi, Amy here. This is voicemail, the movie! Coming back to you soon. You know what to do!" I would laugh, but this is serious.

"Argh, it's her voicemail. She must've turned it off," I look at the T-Phone in slight frustration. What is she thinking going out by herself without telling us? Is she...is she still worried that she might be ruining our image? There's no reason for us to keep up an image, we stay in the shadows.

"Well, let's go look for her," Raph stands up, "She couldn't have gone too far."

"Right. We'll check Murakami's first in case she got hungry. Let's go!" We all jump over the turnstiles. I hope she's alright and unharmed. I can't bare to have her hurt...I'm supposed to protect her...

* * *

 **~Amy~**

As soon as I arrive at Murakami's, I see that Xever is hurting him! I gasp and barge my way inside. Xever looks up as he's holding Murakami, grinning slyly.

"Ah, the pretty little brunette who's allied with those turtles. Come to protect your friend?" He looks down at Murakami.

"Amelia-chan! Leave! Save yourself!" Murakami pleads and I clench my fist. No, I'm not leaving! He needs to be rescued!

"You made a big mistake targeting him," I narrow my eyes at Xever, pulling out my sword. "Leave now while you still have your dignity."

"Feh." Xever smirks, pulling out his butterfly knives swiftly. "As a compensation, I'll take the both of you...with me."

I yell and jump towards him. I hope...I hope I can save him...and actually do something for a change. I don't want to hold my friends back...

* * *

 **~Leo~**

April is pacing around in front of Murakami's, looking worried. We jump down to her. "April, what's wrong?" She sounded worried when she called, so we came straight over. I grunt to myself, as we still haven't found Amy, and she's not answering her T-Phone. It keeps going straight to her voicemail. The second time we tried it rang four times, then three, then four again and then it just stopped. I hope she's okay...

"It's Murakami and Amy," She explains and my heart leaps at her name. What happened to her? Was she here?

The place is trashed when we walk in. "Someone took them and left this," April gestures to a note on the wall that's held by a knife. My eyes try not to shake as I register what's happened. Amy's...been kidnapped? No! I...I failed her...

"Sweet! Free knife!" Mikey exclaims and I sigh to myself, Raph closing his eyes.

"The note, dummy," Donnie rolls his eyes and takes the note off from the knife. "No more running. If you want the girl and the old man, meet us on the roof of the fortune cookie factory. Oh no, they must've gotten Amy!"

I look away, grunting in frustration. I can't believe she got past us and we didn't even notice it...and now she's in the hands of the ninjas, Xever, and Bradford...I, we, need to rescue her. Amy...she's someone that I don't want to forget. She didn't scream at me when we met, she...thanked me. She was the first person to actually thank me...and she was actually grateful. She's so kind, driven, and understanding...I think my brothers and I can all agree that she's someone that we don't want to lose. She's so energetic with Mikey, she'll do anything with him. With Donnie, she sometimes helps him with his inventions and talks to him about his feelings with April. She encourages him with their friendship. With Raph, she can be as stubborn as him, but she sympathizes with his anger. And with me...well, there's already Space Heroes, so there was no reason for me not to like her, but also...she's very focused on wanting to become a kunoichi. Something I can relate to, as ninjitsu was an important part in my life. She's so eager to learn and understand Splinter's lessons, and...she's so generous...funny...beautiful.

I had no idea how that last thought entered my mind, but she is. Amy is beautiful, with her brown locks and her green emerald eyes that shine each time she's happy. Her smile, her laugh, her beauty...all of a sudden, all of my thoughts are on her. Most of the time, they're always about her. And yet, whenever I talk to her, I sometimes can't get a word in...because I may have strong feelings for her...

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Raph breaks me out of my thoughts. "Let's bust in there and save them!" Raph clenches his fist.

"Not so fast," I warn him, as this is already suspicious, "Think Raphael."

"There's two words that don't usually go together," Donnie comments to Mikey and April.

"This is obviously a trap," I explain, even though I do want to save Amy. I don't want to put her safety at risk, so we need another plan.

"What choice do we have?" Raph asks me.

"Maybe we do need to think more like Xever," I smile slightly.

"But Master Splinter said-"

"I know!" I interrupt Donnie sharply. "But Xever crossed the line dragging Amy and Murakami into this. He's gotta learn that we can cross the line too." I cross my arms. "No more Mr. Nice Turtle."

"Yes!" Raph cheers, smiling. "I never liked Mr. Nice Turtle." He cracks his hands happily.

* * *

We stand near the tattoo place. "Okay, he's strong, so speed and stealth are essential. Okay, everybody know the plan?" Donnie and Raph both nod and we turn to Mikey. "Mikey?"

"Yes," He answers with a smile.

"Are you sure?" I ask expectantly, as Mikey doesn't have the best attention span.

"Yes," He points at me, smiling widely.

"Tell me what it is," I cross my arms and he thinks to himself for a few seconds, unable to tell me. He smiles nervously.

"Umm, maybe we should go over it one more time?" He smiles sheepishly and we all sigh.

* * *

Bradford steps out of an athletic club and Raph jumps down first. He turns around, but I jump onto him and we pin him down. Mikey and Donnie tie him up with rope and duct tape, putting it over his mouth. Mikey places him on his knees over a trash can lid and Raph throws the trash can over him. Mikey and I secure the trash can with chains and a lock.

"Gentlemen, welcome to the other side of the line," I grin at my brothers.

"Now I'm definitely gonna need a tat," Mikey comments, Raph punching him in the arm. "Ow!" He and Raph pick up the trash can over their shells.

"Dang, this sucker's heavy," Raph says and they drop him, the trash can rolling into a wall.

"Sorry," Mikey calls out.

"Don't apologize to him," Raph gestures to the trash can.

"I mean, sorry I didn't drop you harder!" Mikey points to the ground.

"There you go," Raph tells him with a grin. The two roll the trash can down the street.

"Cozy in there?" I call out smugly and we hear muffling.

"Good," Raph says, as this is definitely gonna get us Amy and Murakami back.

We peek around the corner, the fortune cookie factory in our sights. "Uh oh, you guys, look," Donnie points up and we can see Murakami hanging by the edge, tied up with rope. Xever is standing above him.

"Dude, Xever's a jerk," Mikey narrows his eyes.

"But where's Amy?" I murmur as we can't see her from here.

 **~Amy~**

I hear clanging as everything is dark. Who's making that noise? Why can't I move? I slowly open my eyes to see the turtles dragging a trash can for some reason? I look down at my ankles to see that they're tied up, and I can feel the rope around my arms. There's also something sticky on my mouth, probably duct tape. My cheek is planted against the roof, giving me the perfect view of the turtles and the trash can. I muffle out to them and Xever stands in front of me, smirking.

"We're here, Xever," Leo declares, pointing to me. "Now let the noodle man and Amy go!"

"Sorry, there's been a change of plans," Xever says and the ninjas from before land in front of him.

"Actually, there's been another change of plans," Leo replies confidently and they lift the trash can to reveal a tied up Bradford. When did they do that?

"I love it when a change of plans comes together," Donnie smiles slightly.

"You let our friends go, and we'll let your friend go," Leo threatens and I look up at Xever. I don't think he's very attached to anyone, let alone Bradford. Actually, I think they're the opposite of friends. Xever laughs at this.

"He's not my friend," Xever denies and the turtles glance at Bradford. I'm guessing that bribery was their angle here. Too bad they didn't anticipate this. Xever walks up to Murakami, pulling out one of his butterfly knives. He proceeds to cut the rope holding Murakami. Raph holds Bradford over the edge of the roof.

"Uh," Leo's eyes widen slightly. "We're not kidding. O-Okay, stop, or we'll toss him!"

"Go ahead," Xever shrugs, "It'll save me the trouble." Bradford muffles out to him in protest. Does he really not care or is he just saying all of this to benefit him?

I muffle out to the turtles, giving them a pleading look. They glance at me and I muffle again, trying to break free.

"Uh, Raph?" Leo asks and Raph looks at Bradford.

"Aw crud." He throws Bradford back onto the roof. Xever chuckles at their surrender.

"That's what I thought. Attack!" Xever orders the ninjas. They run towards the turtles. The turtles all run into battle, but I'm still tied up. I muffle a protest to Donnie and he comes to a stop in front of me.

"Oh, right, sorry!" he smiles sheepishly and turns the end of his staff into his blade. He turns me around and cuts me free. "There you go."

I pull off the tape. "Thanks," I breathe in relief, taking my sword back. Mikey jumps and lands near a window, throwing his chain at a ninja's foot and capturing it. He slams his foot on the chain, causing the ninja to fly towards him. Mikey spins around as his chain captures the blade of another's weapon. He jabs the wood into the ninja slightly, knocking him over as he takes out a few more ninjas. He smirks as he holds his nunchucks.

Raph jumps off a wall, knocking down some ninjas. He spins around and kicks a ninja back. He uses the wall to jump towards a billboard, Leo joining him.

I run towards Murakami as no one is around and Xever throws some kunai, daggers, at the two and Raph rolls backwards, avoiding them. Mikey spins his nunchucks as he kicks a ninja off the roof. He jumps onto a ninja's head, knocking him off the building as well. Donnie joins him as they fight off some ninjas, fist-bumping each other. They hear a shing and turn to see more of the ninjas running towards them.

I jump onto the platform where Murakami is and balance myself.

Leo knocks down a ninja before he rolls forward, leaping into the air and kicking one down. He blocks swords with one before disarming and knocking some more out.

Raph gets on his shell and pushes his feet forward to kick a ninja away. He rolls forward and spins around, kicking another one away. One of them jumps towards him and he knocks him back while dealing with another ninja. He punches him down before spinning his sais, deflecting more kunai from Xever. He smirks and I bend down to Murakami, trying to figure out how to get him down safely. If I cut him free, he'll probably fall, and the turtles are too busy with the ninjas and Xever.

"Stop her!" I hear and my eyes widen as I turn around to see three ninjas behind me. I grit my teeth and one of them proceeds to jab his weapon towards me, but I backflip over him onto the roof. I spin around, kicking one of them off the roof. I back away and pull out my sword, clashing my weapon with the second one. I spin myself around, knocking down the two ninjas. I sigh in relief, wiping sweat off my forehead before more of them run towards. I gasp and jump up to the billboard. I plant my feet on the wood and flip into the air as I dodge Xever's kunai. Just how many does he have? Some ninjas run past me to Raph and he punches one into the billboard, knocking him off it.

I spin around swiftly, kicking one ninja into one of Raph's. He smirks and I give him a thumbs up.

"Look out!" He shouts, moving past me and I watch as he grabs a ninja and throws him over.

I hear someone coming up from behind me and I punch the ninja, knocking him unconscious. I backflip onto the roof. Leo spins, kicking a ninja off the roof and he turns around to clash weapons with several more. I do the same, gritting my teeth as several weapons are pushing against me. The leader of the Purple Dragons is watching us, and he's holding a butcher knife again. He looks at Leo and I hesitantly, as if he didn't want to attack us. Leo jumps in from the air and knocks out all the ninjas that were planning to surround me.

The Purple Dragon leader comes towards us, but I disarm him while Leo pushes him down. He points his sword at him, but spins it instead as we have other things to deal with. You guessed it, more ninjas. I sigh wearily as I look around and I hear a snap. I glance over to where Murakami is, and I realize we don't have much time left. I run up to the platform, but the ninjas stop me in my tracks.

Raph spins his sais, turning around and deflecting a butterfly knife from Xever. He ducks past two ninjas and Bradford grabs Xever, stopping him from attacking. I don't know how he suddenly got free, but he is Shredder's student, so it's not that unbelievable. I backflip to get away from the ninjas, but they keep following me.

Mikey spins his nunchucks, spinning them around as he's knocking out the ninjas. "Word!" He looks behind him and jumps away as MORE of them appear. How thrilling. Suddenly, we're surrounded by them, my back and their shells facing each other.

"Alright, let's settle the score, pond-scum!" Bradford threatens, probably wanting payback for the attempt on his life.

"We're the ones who didn't wanna throw you off the roof!" Donnie calls out in protest and Bradford yells, ignoring Donnie as we separate from him. Mikey, Leo, and I turn around, fighting the ninjas as best as we can. Donnie turns around, throwing a ninja off his staff and spinning it as he thrusts Bradford's arm down. But he punches Donnie, knocking him down. Mikey jumps up, dodging his punch, and lands behind him. He then leaps onto his shoulders, swinging down his nunchucks, but Bradford grabs them. He throws Mikey of his shoulders and kicks him into Donnie.

I hear another snap and I glance nervously at Murakami's spot.

Raph punches and kicks some ninjas, being kicked from behind by Xever. Raph growls at all the interference Xever's down and thrusts his sais at him. He's distracted by a ninja as Xever kicks him to the ground. Leo and I are kicking ninjas when we see this.

"Raph!" Leo calls out, only to be hit by Bradford. He gasps as he looks up and I grab him, running away from Bradford's kick. We roll and stand up, swinging our swords as we surround him on both sides. Leo flips over a punch, but ninjas surround us. Leo kicks his leg up into the air and ducks from another punch by Bradford, sweeping his leg as Bradford jumps. My sword is suddenly knocked out of my hand and Xever appears in front of me, using the hilt from my weapon to hit it into my stomach. Leo is meanwhile knocked down by Xever and Bradford, spinning and landing near me. I'm kicked over to him and he growls.

Xever chuckles and I look at Leo, wondering what we're going to do. He stares at me with soft eyes, as if silently telling me that we would get out of this...

"See, Bradford? That is how you catch turtles, and a charming young lady," Xever grins down at me, planting his foot against my cheek. I cough slightly from the weight of his boot. "And next, I'll show you how to filet them." Xever spins his butterfly knife into his hand.

"You'd never have caught them without me and you know it," Bradford points at him. What exactly did he do? He was in a trash can.

"Oh, yes. What would we have done without your brave leadership from inside the trash can?"

While they're arguing, Xever takes his foot off my cheek and I feel it to touch a grainy dirt texture from the bottom of his boot.

Suddenly, something lands in front of Leo and I. We glance to see our swords in front of us, looking up at the Purple Dragon leader. He crosses his arms, looking away as if he didn't do anything. Leo and I grin at him.

"Now if you'll excuse me, it's time to cut these turtles into little pieces," Xever turns to us and we point out swords to him.

"I don't think so!" Leo and I spin in the air, cutting down the water tower. It breaks in half, washing the ninjas, Xever, and Bradford away. It also sets free Murakami, but Mikey jumps down. We all look over to see if they're both fine and Mikey is holding onto him, his nunchuck planted against the edge.

"I got him!"

"Nice save, Mikey!" Leo calls out as we all grin.

"Don't look down, Murakami-san," Mikey encourages as we pull them up. "Or, um, listen down." Murakami smiles regardless, happy to be saved. Leo and I glance to see the Purple Dragon leader getting away. We both look to each other, grinning. I guess I don't need to worry about the turtles' image after all...because of my decision, we're all fine.

"Are you okay?" Leo asks me, glancing at something.

"Hm?" I look at my cheek and chuckle. "Oh, yes. I'm okay, it's just some dirt." I rub it off my cheek and he grins, reaching out his hand. He brushes away a spot I missed and I blush at his touch against my skin...

* * *

At Murakami's, we've returned him back to the store. "Accept my gratitude," He's holding out a tray. "Pizza gyoza!"

"Awesome!" Donnie cheers, taking the wrapped up food. "Thanks, Murakami-san."

"You're welcome, turtle-san," Murakami smiles and we all bow slightly before realizing what he just said. How did he know if he's blind?

"Wait, how did you-"

"I do have other senses," Murakami explains smugly, "Touch, smell." He says smell strongly and we all look at Mikey. He looks at us before lifting up his armpit, smiling nervously. I facepalm at him.

"You don't think we're weird and scary?" Leo asks, as if it was a natural reaction.

"You saved my life. Who am I to complain?"

Wow, he's the first person besides me to not judge them by their appearances. Mikey hugs him and he smiles.

* * *

Back at the lair, we're all enjoying some well-deserved pizza gyoza. Donnie is trying to get April to try some. "Just try one," He holds out the dumpling from his chopsticks. "Sometimes things that don't seem like they go together actually make a great couple. I mean, food!"

April glances at it skeptically and sighs in defeat. "Fine." April feeds her the dumpling and she hums. "Whoa! These are amazing!"

Donnie grins at his victory and April snatches his plate away. He gasps in surprise as she's eating all of them, to his dismay. Not sure whether or not he's upset over his food being taken away or April not noticing him. Probably both.

"You five showed your strength today," Splinter congratulates us.

"Yeah, but we almost got beaten," Raph states and I eat one of my dumplings.

"Your strength was mercy," Splinter explains, "That is why the Purple Dragon helped you." He sips his tea and Raph looks away, Leo and I grinning at him from both sides.

"Well? Say it."

"Okay, okay. You were both right. And Amy, I'm...I'm...well, you know," He can't even say it. I smile slightly at him.

"It's fine," I place a hand on his shoulder. "But this is for doubting me." I pressure point his neck and he falls down onto the ground. "And don't ever say that I was changing your manhood image ever again."

"Noted," He calls out weakly, sitting up.

"Ah, see?" Leo pats his shoulder. "That wasn't so-"

"Your wimpiness, however, might not be totally useless," Raph smirks.

"Oh ho," Leo chuckles, "I'll show you who's wimpy. No mercy!" He tackles Raph, knocking down all three of our food down.

"Oh come on," I mutter with a sigh, standing up. "There goes my dinner. I'm gonna go make some instant noodles," I walk past the two to the kitchen.

"Make that two," Donnie calls out.

"Three!" Mikey holds up a hand.

"Four," April smiles sheepishly and I look at Splinter, who nods. I sigh in defeat.

"You know what, I'll just make some for all of us! It's not like it'll make a difference," I huff slightly, walking into the kitchen. When did I go from a training kunoichi to a cook/maid? Well...living with four mutant guys will do that, I guess...doesn't mean I have to like it sometimes, though.


	9. The Gauntlet

**Angel: I'm remaking this because I don't like how the original was. It was my first story, so I clearly didn't know what I was doing XD Compare that to this...yeah, this one's just better. I do appreciate all the favorites and follows I got from that, though.**

Leo and Raph are sparring together as training has ended a while ago, but it's still morning. I'm simply watching them today, as Raph could get a little rough during sparring, especially if Leo is involved. I suddenly feel cold again...it's been happening more frequently now. I feel cold in places that I shouldn't be, even outside on the surface during patrol. What's weird is that I'm the only one feeling this way, which is impossible, as my body heat shouldn't be that simplistic.

I look at my hand, my mouth opening wide as snow is coming from my hand! It flies around my fingers and I turn around my hand as I look at it. This is so crazy...

I glance up at the sparring turtles, who don't notice it. I'm about to call out to them, but then the snow disappears...

"What is going on with me?" I murmur to myself.

Raph dodges punches from Leo left and right, leaving me to wonder what just happened. How could I do that?

"Check it out, guys," Donnie calls out as he walks into the room. He's holding a bowl of eggs? "We are about to take our ninjitsu to a whole new level!"

"Cool," Leo comments, sweeping his leg and knocking Raph down. Leo winks at me and I giggle, clapping for him.

"Last night, I figured how to make...ninja smoke bombs!" He throws down the egg to demonstrate, disappearing into a puff of purple smoke. He reappears behind Leo and Raph, the three of us glancing at each other.

"Whoa..." We murmur in awe. This is so cool! It's like in those TV shows where ninjas make their escape by using smoke bombs or throwing something at the main character. I can't believe we get to do that now!

"Now, to make 'em, I carefully drill two holes in an eggshell without cracking it, slowly blow out the contents, wait for the inside to dry, then pour in flash powder and seal both holes with wax."

"Blah blah science blah, do it again!" Raph pushes past Leo and I, grinning. This is one of the few times I've ever seen Raph genuinely excited about one of Donnie's inventions. To be fair, Donnie does sometimes get carried away with explaining about them, but this is something beneficial for all of us, like with the recent T-Phones.

"What I'm trying to tell you guys is, they take a long time to make, so use them sparingly," Donnie warns us.

"Aww," I pout, crossing my arms. "But they're fun...!"

"I'm makin' breakfast!" Mikey calls out. "Who wants omelets?"

"Omelets?" Donnie looks at his egg smoke bombs. "Mikey, don't!" There's suddenly an explosion of purple smoke and some of it is on Mikey. He looks at the bowl of eggs in his hands. Well...the smoke bombs do look like eggs.

"Uh, I think that was a rotten egg."

Leo and I are laughing at Mikey's face. "Those aren't eggs, Mikey." Donnie explains as I hug Leo slightly, still giggling. "They're ninja smoke bombs."

Mikey's eyes shrink before they widen in excitement. "Shut up." He throws down one and we all look up as he's in the tree. "This." He appears at the tree. "Is the best day." He appears in the air. "Of my life!" He throws down another one.

"Mikey, stop!" Donnie yells, but Mikey uses another one to Donnie's annoyance. He appears behind his brother.

"I love you, man," He kisses Donnie on the cheek. "Seriously!" Donnie glares at him.

"Guys!" We hear, turning to April, and she looks scared out of her mind. "Guys, you'll never believe what happened to me!" She hugs herself. I've never seen April like this before, so something pretty serious must've happened on the surface.

"Alright, April, calm down," Donnie bends down to her, placing his hand on her knees. "Are you okay?"

"I...am being hunted...by a giant pigeon!" She clutches Donnie's arms and Raph laughs, pointing at her. Leo, Mikey, and I glare at him. Leo has his arms crossed while Mikey has his hands on his hips. Raph notices that he's the only one who thinks this is hilarious and glances at us.

"I can't be the only one who finds that funny," He states and I hit him on the back of his head. "Ow!"

"Disrespectful," I huff at his manners. "April's clearly bothered by it and you laugh at her?"

"It's not funny, Raph," Donnie scolds him. "There's a creature out there trying to hurt my April."

April gives him a look and he realizes what he just said. "Our April." He smiles nervously, gesturing to her. "April."

"Dude, even Leo's not that bad," Mikey whispers to Raph and Leo's eyes widen, glaring at his two brothers. Oh right...the mystery girl no one will tell me about. I've tried every single person, but they won't tell me anything about her. Not even Splinter, and I don't even know how HE knows her. He's not even bothered by it, despite the girl being, you know, a human? Someone else that could potentially give away their secret, even though Splinter's really stern about this? He's their father and teacher, and yet he's just okay with this mystery girl? It boggles my mind about who this person is, and one day, I will get more out of them.

"This is serious," Mikey changes the subject as he's smiling sheepishly at Leo. "I better get Splinter." He holds up a smoke bomb.

"We don't really need-" Mikey throws down the smoke bomb anyway, and in his spot, Splinter is standing there.

"Michelangelo said you wanted to see me?"

I snatch away the bowl from him. "No more smoke bombs!"

* * *

April is explaining the attack. "His talons were razor sharp. He would have torn me to pieces...if he hadn't slammed into the glass."

Raph laughs and we all give him a look. "Really? Just me?" Splinter smacks him with his staff.

"Raphael! Clearly April is upset."

"Yeah, dude, that's so insensitive," Mikey says to Raph, turning to April. "Do you need a tissue?"

"I think I'm okay," She states clearly.

"I'll get you a tissue," He throws down a smoke bomb, which I thought I took away, confusing April. He appears between her and Donnie. "We don't have any tissues. Can I make you some soup?" He's about to use them again, but this time Donnie's the one who stops him.

"Stop it!" He snatches it away. "Don't worry, April, we won't let anything happen to you."

"Donnie's right," Leo smiles slightly. "We're gonna set a trap for this pigeon-man and make sure he never bothers you again."

"It's not just me you need to worry about," April sighs as she pulls out something from her back pocket. "He dropped this." It's a pink closed flower of some sorts, but it looks like it's made out of plastic. There's a little tag sticking out from it that says...my name...

"Huh?" We all ask in confusion.

"What is this?" Leo holds the thing, looking at the top of it.

"Whatever it is, it belongs to you," April glances at me.

"That doesn't make sense, why would he go after you and have this for me?" I gesture to myself. I wonder just exactly who he is...

Leo hands it to me. It doesn't feel like it'd be something dangerous. It's definitely not a flower, but I really don't know what this is.

"Doesn't really do anything, does it?" Raph looks at it and I shrug, putting it down. Whatever it is, it's not important right now. We need to stop this pigeon from going after April.

"Well, I know what we can use as bait to catch him," Donnie speaks up and Mikey appears at his side.

"Bread crumbs!" Leo and Donnie stare at him. "Pigeons eat bread crumbs."

"He's got a point," I agree, crossing my arms.

"I meant April," Donnie answers, Mikey and I immediately standing in front of April to protect her.

"You're gonna let him eat April?! I thought you liked her!" Mikey exclaims.

"Yeah!" April agrees, like geez. You think he would've cared about her safety given his crush on her.

"Don't sweat it, we've got your back," Donnie assures us.

"Alright, mighty mutants, let's do this," Leo hits his knuckles together.

"Mighty mutants? What, dancing dorks was already taken?" Raph retorts, to which Leo closes his eyes and shakes his head in embarrassment. I place a hand on his shoulder and offer him a smile, silently telling him that he'd get another chance. I understand that he's trying to act heroic and serious. He looks at me before he eventually smiles back.

We run towards the turnstiles when a voice stops us.

"Wait!"

We turn to Splinter. "We do not yet know what you are facing. Perhaps you should study your enemy before confronting him."

"With all due respect, Sensei...it's a pigeon," Leo shrugs, smiling slightly.

"What you know is dangerous to your enemy. What you think you know is dangerous to you," Splinter points the end of his staff at Leo's plastron. "I fear you are all becoming overconfident."

"Sensei, in the past few months, we've taken down giant spiders, plant creatures, alien robots, and an army of ninjas," Leo counts, his brothers high-treeing each other. "Maybe we're not overconfident. Maybe we're just that good."

And with that, we leave, but not before I see Splinter's troubled face...

* * *

I'm hiding in a dumpster with Leo, where April is 'acting' as bait. I'm not saying she's terrible, but...well...just listen.

"Here I am, walking around in the big city! All alone. Oh, I sure hope no crazy pigeon-man sneaks up on me. That would be the last thing I'd want."

You see how painful it kinda is to hear this? I can't even see her and I'm already cringing. I pinch my nose from the smell of the dumpster. Not only does it smell, but it's kind of uncomfortable since it's a small dumpster. Leo and I are squished together, and I can just barely move my arms and legs.

"You okay?" Leo asks me in concern.

"Not really," I state bluntly and he chuckles as we try to move around. "Okay, move your leg over-no, not-your arm goes-"

"Okay, so this isn't clearly gonna work," Leo replies and I can't help but laugh as his arms and legs are all sprawled and twisted. I think it's to make sure he doesn't touch me, which I think is sweet, even if it's at his expense of looking ridiculous. "Oh man," He mutters and I'm still giggling at how he looks. "Oh, like you're any better," He says teasingly.

"What are you doing?" I hear Donnie's voice from outside.

"You wanted me to be bait. I'm bait!" April points out.

"That's not how bait talks," Donnie argues.

"How do you know how bait talks?" April asks defensively.

"I know bait doesn't talk back."

"Ooo," Leo and I peek out from the dumpster, the others coming out from their hiding spots as well.

"Oh no, you didn't," Mikey waves his finger. Donnie chuckles sheepishly and I can sense the nerves from him going off like an engine.

"Oh, actually, Amy can you step out here and be bait too?" He calls out and I glance at Leo, opening the door.

"Anything to get out of this thing," I mutter, stretching my arms as they pop.

"Agreed," Leo states and I jump out, standing next to April. She still looks a little ticked off from her little spat with Donnie.

"Just act natural," He shows his gap as he backs away slowly. April sighs, rolling her eyes.

"Here I am, acting natural," April shrugs and I shake my head at her. "Just totally defenseless against any, I don't know, hideous mutant pigeon-guy who might happen upon me."

"I wouldn't say totally defenseless," I point to my sword behind my back as I actually have a sheath now for it. It's brown and it rests on my back, with the strap across my body as it's wrapped around my right shoulder. I'm ambidextrous, so I can hold my sword in either hand.

April gives up and starts walking and we hear a caw behind us. April and I turn around to see the mutant pigeon flying right towards us. April screams and I stand in front of her, just in case. I don't attack because of the turtles' plan. The pigeon gets tasered, landing in front of us.

"Now!" Leo orders as he, Raph, and Mikey tackle the pigeon.

"Ugh," Raph says in disgust as there's a pimple right in front of him, gross.

"Okay, okay!" The pigeon struggles to be let go. "Uncle, geez Louise!"

"And you said I wasn't good bait," April gestures to herself. Donnie is smiling as he puts down his taser.

"Okay, start talking, pigeon-man," Leo demands as he's standing over the mutant.

"I have a name!" The mutant protests.

"Yeah, we just don't care what it is," Raph states bluntly. The pigeon turns his head around.

"It's Pete!"

Oh wow, the pigeon is named Pete. Not that I care that his name is so simple, but still, would've offered a bit of a surprise if it was something else. "Why were you trying to hurt April, Pete? And why did you have something addressed to Amy?" Leo interrogates.

"I didn't want to hurt her! I was just bringing them a message. From their parents."

April and I gasp. He knows our parents... "Let him up," April tells them and they do so. He's got mutagen zits all over his back, it's a little gross.

"We were all guests of the Kraang," Pete explains, blinking his red eyes. "They poured some ooze on me and turned me into this."

"Oh, that must have been horrible. Being turned into a...pigeon," April comments in sympathy.

"Actually, I started out as a pigeon," He explains, and that does explain a lot.

"Told ya the bread crumbs would've worked," Mikey points out and Pigeon Pete grabs him, excited.

"Ooo, you've got bread crumbs?" He inspects Mikey like he's got a weapon on him. I can't help but laugh, but then again, there is more serious matters.

"Um, our parents?" April holds up a finger as he's shaking Mikey, holding him by the lower body.

"Oh, right." He drops Mikey, who 'ows.' He hands April a tablet, where her father's face is on it.

"Something terrible is about to happen. And I don't know what, but it's extremely important that you and Amy get out of this city as soon as you can. I haven't seen Amy's mother, they...they took her away and I haven't seen her since. Save yourselves. Remember, I love you."

"I love you too, Daddy," April hugs the tablet, looking sad.

"What does that mean?" I place my hands on my head. "They took her away? Why?" I pace around, trying not to cry. "Does that mean something else? Is she...is she...?"

"Whoa, calm down, Amy," Donnie stands in front of me, removing my hands off my head. "I'm sure that she's fine. We'll find her. We'll find her..."

"Okay," I murmur, dragging my hand down my hair. I just hope that they don't hurt her...or mutate her...Pete glances at me.

"Did you open yours yet?"

"Open?" Raph asks in confusion. "How would you do that? It's closed."

"There's a crank at the side!"

My eyes widen as I scramble around in my purse, pulling out the closed flower thing. I see a tiny golden crank and we all facepalm at not seeing it. I place it down on the ground, turning the crank. The flower starts to move as it forms a skirt on a dancing ballerina. Our mouths open in shock as it dances around, doing a pirouette. After a very elegant and short dance, it steps closer to me, holding out a letter that's normal-sized somehow.

I glance at the others before I take it, seeing my name on it. I open it up and read it out loud.

 _My daughter,_

 _I still don't understand what's going on, but the Kraang are locating me somewhere else. They say it has to do with you. They're planning something awful, and I need to tell you to get out. Go somewhere, anywhere, as long as you're safe. I love you, Amelia._

I sigh in despair at what they could be doing to her...I hug the letter and Leo places a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Do you have any idea what they're talking?" Leo questions the pigeon.

"I'm just the messenger," Pete shrugs and Donnie places a hand on April's shoulder.

"We have got to get you two out of the city," He glances at me.

"We're not going anywhere without our parents," April says seriously, crossing her arms.

"But you heard them. Something terrible is gonna happen."

"Then we'd better hurry," April replies and Donnie stares at her. He knows he can't win this fight. Leo gives me a look and I shake my head, telling him that I'm not gonna sit around and do nothing while my mom is possibly getting hurt. I can do this. I can actually fight back for a change and be useful not only to myself, but to my friends...

"Can you tell us where the Kraang are holding April's dad?" Leo asks, as the pigeon probably doesn't know where my mom is either.

"I can, but it's gonna cost ya a lot of bread," Pete leans in closer.

"We're talking about...actual bread, right?" Leo asks skeptically and the pigeon nods in confirmation.

"Yep. Sourdough."

"Done," Leo smiles slightly and I write down my address on the envelope from the letter. My pen is pink, with the end being heart-shaped.

"Oh, I definitely can help you there. My mom loves sourdough. Take as much as you want," I hand him the paper and he hugs it like he didn't want to let go. I smile at his reaction before it fades. I can't believe it...my mom got taken away, and I'm only learning about this now...

Leo can sense my disappointment and he places his hands on my shoulders. "Hey, she'll be fine. We'll find her eventually, Amy." I look up at him and he's giving me a serious and genuine look. "I promise." He grips my shoulders slightly.

"Thank you," I say softly.

"Let's roll," Mikey throws down yet another smoke bomb, and I am seriously considering to tell Donnie not to make them anymore.

* * *

Donnie is standing on Mikey's shell so that he can open the fan from the roof. He removes it, smiling. "Piece of cake."

"Let's do this!" April declares, Leo frowning slightly. She's about to move, but Leo grabs her arm, keeping her from going any further.

"We need you to wait here, April."

"Are you crazy?!" April removes his arm. "My dad's in there."

"Along with who knows how many Kraang," Leo points out. "This requires speed and mobility. Leave it to the pros."

"Then why does Amy get to go?" April gestures to me.

"Hey!" I exclaim, offended.

"Sorry!" She says, looking at me.

"She's had training in stealth. Splinter says any day now she'll be a master at it," Raph points out, shrugging.

"I can't just do nothing," April scoffs at the fact she's in the sidelines.

"You won't be doing nothing," Leo takes a rope from Raph. "We need you to lower this rope when we give you the signal."

April sighs in defeat and takes it from him as Donnie jumps inside. We land right behind a Kraang, rolling away from it. Mikey on the other hand crashes onto the ground, looking up as the Kraang notices his presence. He points his laser gun at Mikey, but Raph tackles it, stabbing the robot in the shoulder. He looks up at Mikey, who looks sheepish.

We sneak around, Raph hitting Mikey on the head. The youngest turtle rubs it and Leo places a hand in front of us, signaling to stop. He shushes us and he rolls, pulling out his swords and slicing down a Kraang. He gestures for us to move forward and we roll over to him, looking around for any more Kraang.

Leo looks down the hall to see some Kraang standing in front of a room. We follow them and the door opens up to a Kraang standing there. Raph knocks the two out and throws his sai at the remaining one. We walk inside, but not before the brain from the body steps out, growling. Leo punches it in the face and the door closes behind us, Raph moving the Kraang out of our way. It looks to be an archive of some sorts.

"Donnie, hack into the system and see if you can find out about the Kraang's plot. Raph, you're with me. Mikey and Amy, stay with Donnie," Leo tells us.

"Why do I always get stuck with Mikey?" Donnie complains, Mikey looking a little hurt.

"Hey."

"I don't want him. And I'm in charge," Leo jerks a thumb at himself. Wow, okay then. That was a little uncalled for.

"Hey!"

"Well then, make Raph take Mikey," Donnie gestures to Raph, who crosses his arms.

"Over my dead body. Why not let Amy here have him? At least she's the only one who would."

"Umm, I don't think that's really necessary," I say, as there's nothing we would do by ourselves. I'm an only child, so I don't really know how to handle younger siblings. Mikey is like an energy battery that never dies. He's always doing something and he never really gets tired, so me having him alone is not the best idea.

"No," Leo denies, giving Raph a look. "She needs to stay here to find out more about her mother's location. And I would never leave her with Mikey alone, that'd be too cruel."

I clutch my heart, blushing as I look away. Oh wow...!

"You know, I'm starting to think nobody wants to be with me. Fine, I'll just go off on my own," Mikey throws down a smoke bomb, but he ends up at the other door, which has nothing inside it besides him. "That's a closet," He rubs his head sheepishly.

"Have fun, you three," Raph walks away. I pat Donnie's shell in sympathy as Mikey looks around in awe.

"Whoa. Um, huh, what's that button-" Donnie grips his finger.

"Don't. Touch. Anything," Donnie warns him and Mikey grins widely. I sigh, shaking my head. I feel for Donnie, I really do.

Donnie is trying to figure how to access the information, but he's not starting off well. He's not used to this technology, so that's understandable. But Mikey...oh, Mikey.

"What's that one do?"

"I don't know," Donnie denies and Mikey leans in closer.

"What's that one do?"

"I don't know," Donnie pushes him away. Mikey moves to the floor and I look around, trying to figure out just how this worked. Mikey appears at Donnie's side.

"What's that one do?"

"I don't know!" Donnie grabs Mikey and throws him away.

"Mikey, let him concentrate." I know he gets distracted easily, but this was a priority, not a game. Jeez, when did I become a mother?

Mikey pops up behind Donnie. "Ooo, that one's pretty."

"Just stop it!" Donnie slams his hands down on the keyboard and Mikey sweats a little. He gets in, though, and he laughs. "I'm in!"

"You're welcome." Donnie pushes Mikey off of him and I see a red file with my name.

"Wait, what's this?" I point to it and Donnie opens the file. There's my name, my picture, my age, and here's this that's confusing: 'Powers unknown.'

"What?" Donnie asks in disbelief, trying to look for more about it, but there's nothing except the lone file. "Why would they have this about you? What are they talking about?"

"I-I don't know," I stammer but then I remember what happened earlier today. I look down at my hand and it glows blue. What does that mean? Do I really have powers? Why would the Kraang document this? "I wonder if this file is why they moved my mom," I glance at Donnie. "Maybe they're trying to see if there's something about her to find out more about...well, me."

"That does make sense," He murmurs, "I'll have to do some tests sometime soon..."

I'm still concerned, though. Why do the Kraang need to find out more about me? Why do they think I'm important to them? Is that why they kidnapped my mom? There's so much questions and yet I can't figure out the answers...I need more information.

Then more files pop up and our eyes widen. "Uh oh," Donnie says in worry.

* * *

We run up to Leo and Raph, Leo trying to pick the lock. "Leo, Raph, they've planted a mutagen bomb downtown. They're gonna use it to disperse ooze over half the city!" He then sees Mr. O'Neil inside his cell. "Oh, hi, Mr. O'Neil. Your daughter's really nice." He places his hands behind his back, smiling. Mr. O'Neil raises an eyebrow at him.

"Okay, we have to disarm that bomb," Leo looks back to the lock. "If I could just get this stupid door open!"

"Have you tried this?" Mikey presses a button that he thought would open it, but instead, it sets off an alarm.

"No!" The other turtles and I exclaim with white wide eyes. Mikey smiles widely.

"And that's why no one wants to be with you!" Raph points at his plastron.

"Try this," I bend down to Leo, connecting two wires together. I could sense his frustration with it, so I just wanted to help him out. I get the door open and Mr. O'Neil steps out.

"Thank you," Leo sighs in relief as the Kraang are running towards us. "Let's move!" He and Donnie escort Mr. O'Neil away from the laser blasts, the rest of us following him. We can't really fight them, not with Mr. O'Neil in the way. This was only a rescue mission, after all. We stop at the entrance we came from, Mikey stumbling onto the ground. Raph pulls him over and Mikey chuckles, only for Raph to slap him on the head.

Leo starts making some pigeon noises, which I'm guessing is supposed to be the signal for April. I wanna laugh, and I do. I stifle a laugh, covering my mouth with my hand.

"What are you doing?" Raph interrupts in disbelief. He cups his hands around his mouth. "April, throw the rope!"

April peeks over to see her father. "Dad!"

"April!" He calls out and she throws the rope, holding it. Raph kicks a barrel towards the Kraang, knocking one down. He grabs another, stabbing it with his sai. The laser gun drops in front of Mr. O'Neil and he looks at it. He then moves away from Leo and Donnie.

"Mr. O'Neil, what are you doing?" Leo questions as he holds the laser gun, firing it and knocking down a Kraang.

"Save my daughter and Amy's mother. Save this city," is all he says.

"Daddy, no!" April cries out and he shoots lasers.

"Go, go!" Leo orders and we run towards the rope, Leo grabbing my waist and holding me up so I go first. I start climbing, looking down at Mr. O'Neil. He sacrificed himself for her safety...

"We can't leave him here," Donnie says to Leo.

"We don't have a choice," Leo answers and when we all climb up, Mr. O'Neil is tackled by a Kraang, with a gun pointed at him.

"NO!" April shouts and he's taken away. April jumps down from her spot, covering her mouth in horror. She sobs as she hugs Donnie. He pulls back to look at her.

"We'll get him back, April," He whispers and she looks up at him, frowning sadly. "I promise."

"We gotta go," Leo runs past him and the rest of us follow, jumping over the edge of the building and abandoning Mr. O'Neil in the hands of the Kraang once again.

* * *

We're at Wolf Hotel, where the bomb is. The bomb is right behind the logo. Raph fires an arrow with his bow and it lands at a Kraang, exploding. He fires another one and it explodes when hit, the Kraang brain crawling away in fear. I pull the string back as I hold an arrow, seeing a Kraang at a control panel. I let go and it fires, exploding the robot body into pieces.

Donnie fires one and when a Kraang turns around, it's impacted with the arrow. We have these devices attached to the arrows so that when hit, it causes an explosion. Mikey runs up to on the edge of the bomb, firing at two Kraang. One of them prepares to fire, but Leo comes in and slices a part of it off. The bod falls apart as it lands near Donnie. The brain crawls underneath Raph, who looks to see it escape. Raph sticks out his tongue in disgust.

"Okay Donnie," Leo looks to the tallest turtle. "It's up to you."

Donnie opens the control panel and his eyes turn white in shock. "Uh oh." We examine it.

"Uh oh? Donnie, you said you knew how to do this," Leo accuses as he looks up.

"I didn't count on a design this complex, Leo," Donnie defends and Leo stands up.

"Th-They're aliens from another dimension. What did you expect? A big round ball with a lit fuse that said bomb?" Leo draws a makeshift bomb.

I don't think anyone has time for this, let alone the entire world.

"No, but this is-" Raph pushes Leo out of the way.

"Boy, I sure hope this argument goes on for another 4 minutes and 15 seconds," He smacks Donnie on the head and I give Leo a look. Donnie looks around nervously, as he doesn't even know where to begin with this bomb. He starts sweating while the other turtles are looking behind him.

"Careful," Leo warns and Donnie gives him a glare. He turns back to the system.

"Watch out for those wires," Raph points to them, and for once, he looks concerned.

"You guys are not helping," Donnie remarks, glancing at them.

"Okay, you two, shut it," I give Leo and Raph a look. Raph huffs as he crosses his arms and Leo rubs his neck sheepishly. I glance around for anyone in the area.

"What if we just push this button?" Mikey reaches out his hand, but Raph grabs his arm.

"Don't you think you've pushed enough buttons tonight?"

Donnie hums in thought, tapping his finger against his chin. "Donnie, you're gonna have to speed this up," Leo urges as he leans towards him.

"I cannot work with all this pressure!" Donnie yells, holding his cheeks and we hear a noise. I glance over to where it came from, smiling nervously at him.

"Um, that might be a problem," Leo states as we turn around to see Xever and Bradford, again.

"How'd they find us?" I mutter in shock as the four of us pull out our weapons. They jump towards us and we rush over. Donnie wipes sweat off his forehead. Mikey tries to punch Xever, who picks him up and throws him, knocking him onto the ground. Leo blocks Xever's kicks using his arms.

"You guys picked a really bad time for this," Leo pushes Xever back, who spins and lands on his feet.

"Oh, sorry for the inconvenience. When would you prefer to breathe your last breath?" Xever asks, leaping into the air and kicking Leo back slightly.

"If that thing goes off, it'll wipe us all out," Leo informs him.

"I'd rather perish with honor than live in shame," Bradford states, raising his katana. Raph and I jump away from it. He jumps to a wall, kicking Bradford in the head. He glances over to Donnie as I kick Bradford down.

"Will you hurry up and defuse the bomb? We're dealing with a couple of nutjobs here."

Donnie turns to glare at him. "Be quiet!"

Raph and I clash weapons with Bradford while Xever spins and split kicks the other two turtles. Bradford throws Raph and I away. Xever jumps up and tries to kick us, but we slide out of the way just in time. We both glare at him and he spins around, us two trying to block his legs. We end up jumping to the bomb and the two villains narrow their eyes, charging forward. Mikey throws his chain at Bradford, who dodges it, and Mikey spins his nunchucks. Bradford tackles him with enough force to hit him against the logo of the hotel. Bradford raises his sword, Mikey moving back and forth. He blocks the sword with his nunchucks, Leo jumping behind Bradford.

Bradford obviously turns around and blocks the attack, knocking Leo back.

"Down to two wires," Donnie is holding a pair of pliers. "Which do I cut? Black or green?"

"Go for the green!" Mikey calls out and since he's distracted, this gives Bradford the opportunity to punch him. There's not that much time left as Donnie is trying to decide.

"Eh, why not?" He cuts the green wire and the bomb is stopped. He turns to us with a grin. "Guys! Guys! Mikey...was right about something!"

"That's great and all, but we could really use the help!" I call out as Xever knocks me off my feet. Donnie jumps onto Bradford's head, running up rope to the bomb. Raph and I fend off Xever as best as we can before Donnie steps in, but Xever kicks him away, brushing his lip smugly. Donnie backflips before he lands near us and we stand up. We advance towards Xever, backing him up to his friend until they hit each other.

"You are worthy adversaries, but the fight is ours," Leo declares and I grin widely at his Captain Ryan voice. "Lay down your weapons."

"Never!" Xever denies, looking back at us.

"You don't have a choice," Leo chuckles slightly. "You've lost." Mikey brushes his chin.

"If I'm going down..." Bradford looks around. "I'm taking you with me." He stabs the mutagen inside the bomb.

"No!" Donnie calls out and Xever pulls me towards him.

"Amy!" Raph pulls me backwards, my eyes wide in shock as the mutagen bursts, knocking Xever and Bradford off the platform. We jump down and since the mutagen was supposed to be released, the bomb powers down.

"You okay?" Mikey asks me and I nod with a slight smile.

"Yup. No mutagen for me today."

Leo sighs in relief as he hugs me. I blush at his body heat, hugging him back. Eventually he lets go of me, which is disappointing because it was so comforting and warm. The other turtles are wiggling their brows at us and I roll my eyes. "So to sum up, we kicked the butts of the Kraang and Shredder's top henchmen while defusing a bomb and saving the city. And most importantly, Amy's not a mutant," Leo states, grinning at us.

I blush slightly, but then I wonder why he cared so much if he supposedly had feelings for this other girl I don't know about.

"Yeah, we're not overconfident," Raph starts off.

"We're just that good," Leo winks at him and we all high-three at our victory. We all cheer as we start to walk away.

"Your skills are impressive." We stop in our tracks at the deep voice. Turning around sharply, we look up in shock to see a slim, but tall, muscular and toned Japanese man with shiny, chrome plate armor on his chest, shoulders, arms and lower legs, worn over a maroon outfit with a dark blue cape hanging over his back. He also has a helmet over his face, covering it from everyone else. The only thing you could see from them is his eyes. He jumps and lands a few feet away. "But they will not save you."

"Oh man," Donnie says as we stare at him. "Do you think that's...the Shredder?"

"Well it's definitely a Shredder," Raph says and I start to shake slightly. The Shredder? Here? But why? He must want to battle us himself...I've heard so much about him, yet I never thought he'd look this...menacing in person.

He stands up, looking at us in the eye. His right eye is all scarred compared to his left eye, which scares me. "There is undoubtedly a fascinating story in how my old nemesis came to teach ninjitsu to four mutant turtles and an...inferior female." I glare at him for the insult. "Perhaps I will let one of you live long enough to tell it!"

"You're gonna have to catch us first. Mikey," Leo orders and Mikey holds up a smoke bomb. "So long, suckah!" Mikey throws it, but our eyes widen as it's a regular egg, not an actual smoke bomb. "Oops. Alright, that one's on me."

Shredder unsheathes his blades from his gauntlets and charges forward. Raph clashes his sais with him, but Shredder throws them down, growling at Raph. He then kicks the turtle into the O from Wolf Hotel logo and it sparks.

"Raph!" Leo calls out as Raph is electrocuted. I cover my mouth in shock before Shredder punches the ground, Leo pushing me out of the way. Shredder eventually kicks him down and pushes him away. He slides to my feet.

"Leo!" Donnie shouts and I bend down to Leo, hands trembling as I try not to cry. Donnie checks over him and charges next, swinging his staff but Shredder jumps over it. He grabs Donnie's staff and jabs Donnie in the head with it. He then knocks Donnie away.

Mikey throws his chain and Shredder captures it with his gauntlet. He pulls Mikey towards him and kicks him. As Mikey rolls away, he throws some shuriken, which Shredder obviously deflects. Mikey spins over the edge.

"Mikey!" I scream and while Shredder is distracted, Leo and I run up towards him, attacking. Donnie spins above him and hits him, sliding to a stop. I hope Mikey and Raph are okay...I swing my sword at Shredder sharply while spinning and he grunts as I slide away. Leo jumps up into the air, but Shredder grabs him and throws him away. Leo blocks his attack while Donnie's stick breaks when he tries to hit Shredder with it.

Shredder turns around to a wide-eyed Donnie and grabs him, throwing him into Leo and I. We look up at him as he unsheathes the blade from his right gauntlet. Raph comes in out of nowhere and tackles him from behind, punching him fiercely. Shredder throws Raph off of him, and Mikey throws his chain, capturing Shredder's right arm. He jumps back, Shredder flying in the air. Then Mikey fastens his blade to one of the poles, causing Shredder to cry out in pain. He cuts part of the W off, flying towards Mikey and landing on him. The sparks fly as we all lift the object, allowing Mikey to crawl out.

He gasps as Shredder looms over us. We all stare at him, already having a couple of bruises on our faces, shells, and arms. He narrows his eyes and we jump into the air. He's too strong for us, however, and knocks the turtles out. Leo clutches his plastron and Shredder grabs me, pressing me against the wall. He grabs my neck and squeezes, choking me slightly. He uses his other arm to point his blade at my face.

"Tell me where Splinter is, girl, and I promise your demise will be swift," A blade appears from the front of his gauntlet, pointing it near my chin. My eyes widen as I try to claw at his hand gripping my throat, coughing up air. I can't breathe...I thought I was surely going to die at his hands until I hear someone else breathing. A fish mutant falls in front of Shredder and he drops me in surprise.

"Help...me," The fish reaches out to Shredder and I start coughing.

"What is this?" Shredder demands as I see a pair of arms reaching towards me. Leo and the others help me up, Leo holding my waist as I rub my throat. While Shredder is distracted by the mutant, we back away quietly and slowly. "Xever? Bradford?"

And with that, we make our escape.

* * *

When we reach the sewers, we're sitting around, contemplating what just happened with the Shredder. All of us have bruises. No one was left out during Shredder's brutal attack. I have a bruise on my forehead, on my arms, tears in my clothes, and there's a red mark over my throat where Shredder tried to choke me.

Leo steps out from his spot, looking at Donnie. Donnie looks at April, who hides her face in her knees. Raph smacks the arcade game, sitting down as his anger is boiling. Leo sighs and he looks at me. I close my eyes, not wanting to imagine what would've happened if those mutants didn't interrupt...I would've died for sure.

Splinter steps up to us, breaking the silence. "You were all very lucky."

"I think we define that word differently, Sensei," Raph states as his arms are crossed.

"Few have ever faced the Shredder and survived. Especially a kunoichi in training," He gives me a look. "Who was willing to give her life to protect us." he smiles softly at my actions and I smile back weakly.

"He was just so fast," Mikey comments.

"It was like he was everywhere at once," Donnie speaks up.

"So scary...and so skilled," I rub my throat slowly.

"You were right about us being overconfident, Sensei," Leo glances at the rat as he steps over to me, sitting down and placing his hand over mine. He squeezes it slightly and I can sense the relief from it...relief that I was okay, relief that I was still here... "There are some things we're just not ready for."

"Perhaps. But that no longer matters. It is clear now that the Shredder is a problem that will not go away." One by one, we all look up at him. "So prepare yourselves, my children. Because as of this moment...we are at war."

* * *

I think about all the events that just happened...with the Kraang having that file on me...my mom's message...that doll she gave to me...April's father being taken away...and the Shredder. He was just so powerful and strong. I'm not sure how things will turn out the next time we see him. I just know...that it will surely be a battle to remember. And the fact that he tried to kill me yet I barely know him...it was scary thinking that I could've died. I...I need to live. What's my mom gonna do if I lose my life before I get a chance to save her? She'd have no hope...no will...she'd be an empty shell.

I sigh as I rub my throat once again. It felt weird to touch it knowing that the mark was still there. He could've killed me if one more second had gone by.

I hear a knock at my door and turn around to see Leo standing there as my door was open. He's all patched up from his injuries.

"Amy? Can I come in?"

"Yeah...yeah, go on ahead," I scoot up so sit on my bed. Patting the seat next to me, he takes his spot without any protest and sighs.

"Today was..." He starts off, looking away.

"Yeah..." I murmur, as we could both agree that it was...certainly something.

"Are you...are you okay?" Leo asks in concern.

"You mean...?" I touch my throat and there's a pause before he nods slowly.

"Well..." I look at my wall, which already has some photos of the turtles, Splinter, and I. I also have some pictures with April on there. On the wall behind me, there's pictures of my mom and my dad scattered around. "I put some ointment on it like Donnie asked me to, and he said that I'll be okay...just need time to heal."

Leo heaves a sigh, leaning back against the wall. He's looking up at the ceiling like something else is on his mind. "I'm just glad you're okay..."

"Same goes to you," I murmur as I lean next to him. Leo's a really good friend. He listens to me...comforts me when I need it...and not only that, he's a Space Heroes fan, so I've already been close to him when I found that out. Despite it being a few months, I already feel close to him...he's just so...unique.

"I can't believe he tried to do that to you," Leo narrows his eyes, clenching his fist. "What is he going to try next since you know us?"

"I don't know..." I whisper quietly, as I didn't want to think about that.

"Amy...just be careful, okay? I don't want you to get hurt. I won't stop you from wanting to save your mother, but...I don't wanna lose you, so...so just stay with us a little longer..."

My heart feels like it's going to burst at his words...I smile slightly as I rest on my head on his shoulder. "I will..."

I feel him stiffen slightly as soon as I touch him, but then he eases himself, smiling. "Thanks..." He holds my hand as his left hand pats my hair softly. I hum at his comforting touch, closing my eyes. Feeling his hand just made me wanna sleep...

 _Let me stay here, universe...like this...just a little longer..._


	10. Panic in the Sewers

**~Regular~**

The turtles and Amy are sneaking around in the streets, which has foggy air for some reason. The other turtles and Amy follow Mikey into an alley. A rat looks up and runs away as the five lean against a wall. "Shredder could be anywhere. Stay frosty, guys," Leo warns them.

"FYI, frost can't accumulate unless it's below freezing, except during a process called-" Amy pinches her nose, shaking her head as Mikey leans in towards Raph.

"Maybe he's got an off-switch somewhere."

Raph smacks Donnie on the head. "Ow!"

"Found it," Raph jerks a thumb at Donnie, making Mikey laugh. Donnie does not look so amused.

"Really?" Amy whispers to them in disbelief. "That's not finding anything."

"And I found four pathetic turtles and one female with only seconds to live."

They look around, trying to find the source of the voice. "Wouldn't wanna be them," Mikey comments, chuckling. He others pull out their swords, glaring at him.

"We are them," Raph elaborates and they look around, preparing for anything. Mikey backs away until someone grabs him. He yelps and is pulled away, his weapon landing near Donnie's foot.

"Mikey!" He runs towards Shredder, going in for the attack, but Shredder raises his gauntlet, breaking Donnie's stick and knocking him into the air. Shredder moves to behind the turtle and kicks him.

"Raph, Amy, take him down!" Leo orders and they charge forward, Raph running on the wall while Leo and Amy distract the Shredder. When he kicks the two in a split kick, Raph jumps down from above, pointing his sais at their enemy. One hit later and his sais are knocked out of his hands, floating away into the sky. Shredder punches him repeatedly until Raph goes flying. Leo and Amy run towards him, reaching out a hand as Raph disappears into the fog.

"NO!" They cry out as they're all alone. The environment suddenly turns dark red as they hear the ominous laughter. Shredder steps up to them from behind. He grabs Amy and pushes her to the wall. He attacks her with ferocity until she's knocked unconscious, falling onto the ground slowly. Leo gasps sharply.

"Amy, no!" He blocks himself with his arms as he's struck with Shredder's blades. He lands against the wall, looking up as he's trapped. Shredder scratches the wall next to him, causing a slight screeching sound.

"There is no place you can run," He walks past Amy on the ground, "No place you can hide. Where I will not find you!" Leo cringes as he looks up at him. "You think you are ready to face me?"

Leo screams in terror.

"No!" Splinter shouts as he sits up, panting in horror at the nightmare he just had. After his children's encounter with the Shredder, it was all he thought about. Shredder would stop at nothing to have his revenge. Amelia was almost killed, as he would've finished her off had it not been for the distraction. They were truly not ready for the danger ahead of them, especially the ruthless enemy that they've come to known. They said so themselves. Splinter needed to make sure that when they would face him again, they won't be facing death. And that is exactly what he's going to do.

 **~Amy~**

"Come on," Raph grabs his sai. It's that time again, our evening patrol. We had to make sure that no one was up to anything tonight. Sometimes we'd get minor stuff like the Purple Dragons or some other lowly thugs, but other than that, it was mostly tame lately. Nothing like the Shredder or the Foot has happened ever since that...attack. But now we're all fully healed and ready to get back to what we usually did. It's not like anyone else was a major threat in the past few days. Not even the Kraang did anything, that's how you know the crime has been slacking. Not that I want New York to be in danger, but...eh.

"Where are you going?"

We turn around to Splinter, who walks up to us. Which is odd, because he's never stopped us before going on patrol.

"Heading out for our evening patrol," Leo reminds him.

"There will be no patrol," he tells us sharply, which confuses us. There's something different about him all of a sudden.

"Sensei?" Leo asks in puzzlement.

"Last time you fought the Shredder, you barely escaped with your lives and Amelia was almost killed!" Splinter says sternly. Leo closes his eyes, placing his hand on my shoulder.

"But Sensei, next time, we'll be ready," Raph tries to assure him. "We can protect Amy. We always have if she needs it."

"Yes," Splinter grabs Raph's arm and pulls the turtle towards him. "You will stay down here until you are ready. No patrol, no games, no rest," He's pulling on Raph's arm. "There is only training." He pushes Raph towards us and we catch him, looking at Splinter in shock. "Starting now!"

Snap, what's gotten into him? One day he's all cautious, this week he's a monster Bruce Lee. I cringe, backing away slowly.

"You too, Amelia!" I feel him behind me and he tackles me down. I groan at this. I'm sure he'll ease up eventually, right? How long could it take before he gives in?

* * *

Weeks. It'll take WEEKS.

"More, sensei?" Mikey asks wearily. All of the turtles are panting, looking exhausted, more than I've ever seen them anyway. Raph and Leo are standing with their left arms reached out.

"Yes, more! Amelia, continue your backflips." Splinter looks at us expectantly. I sigh wearily and run up against the wall, backflipping. I can't tell you how many backflips I've done, but if it wasn't Splinter, I would seriously refuse. All this time, he's been non-stop with the training sessions, but I think he has it out for me the most. Probably because I don't have as much experience. Katas, stealth exercises, making me go up against the turtles a few times, with or without weapons. Man, I'm getting tired just thinking about it. And now...the backflips. The dreaded backflips. I have to use the wall to backflip for sometimes hours on end. By the time I would finish, I wanna break off my legs.

Donnie and Mikey run towards their brothers, who throw them over, knocking them to the ground.

"There is no intention in your strikes. Amelia, there is no flexibility in your movements. Do it again, all of you! And then I will have you spar against my sons! We will practice all night if we have to!"

"Joy," I murmur in despair as Donnie turns to him.

"We have been practicing all night," Donnie points out and we hear snoring. Turning over, we see Mikey already asleep on the ground, dreaming about pizza.

"Pizza, mmm."

"Wake him up!" Splinter orders sternly. Raph cracks his knuckles.

"Gladly." He picks up Mikey and throws him onto the ground. Mikey immediately sits up, screaming as he points to nothing.

"Shredder's here!"

"Relax," Leo puts a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You were just having a nightmare."

"Aren't we all?" Raph mutters under his breath so Splinter can't hear him.

"Sensei," Donnie holds up a hand, panting. "Can we rest for a sec?"

"Rest?" Splinter hums slightly, placing a finger to his cheek. "The Shredder will not rest...until you are all dead!"

I understand that he's concerned for his sons and their safety, but I think he's going a little overboard. Even if Shredder won't rest, he didn't train nonstop until he dropped dead. Even villains need rest...not that I'm defending them.

"Sensei, we've been training non-stop for weeks and you're going a little harder on Amy," Leo gestures to me as I'm wiping sweat off my forehead. "They need a break," He gestures to his brothers.

"Oh, like you don't?" Raph asks, getting a little miffed.

"That's right, Raph, I don't," Leo states clearly, as out of all the turtles, Leo's definitely the one who trains the most...not as much as we're doing now, but he still does it more frequently than the others. I sometimes join in with him so I can get better practice with weapons training or when I have to fight the others.

"Well then I'll give you a break," Raph glares at him, clenching his fist. Leo glares down at him and with one strike, Splinter knocks us all down.

"If I were the Shredder, none of you would be breathing right now. Understand?" He stares down at us like my mother would when she's angry with people. Mikey rests on Leo's shoulder, snoring again. "Perhaps a brief rest is in order. We will resume later."

We all fall down in exhaustion, sleepy.

* * *

When I open my eyes, Leo's doing some weapons training while watching Space Heroes. I groan slightly, stretching my arms as they pop from all the training they did earlier. Rubbing an eye, I turn to Leo, who's focused on the show.

"Watching our show without me?" I call out with a yawn and he turns to me in surprise, probably not expecting for me to be awake already.

"O-Oh, sorry Amy," He chuckles sheepishly. "I didn't wake you up, did I?"

"No," I giggle, shaking my head. "You're okay. Which episode is this one?" I stand up and sit down in front of the TV.

"The one where he gets hit with the anxiety ray," Leo explains excitedly, sitting next to me. I gasp in awe.

"And where he had to use the thermal charge to destroy those robots who can cause people to panic all over the galaxy?" Leo nods rapidly. Dang it, I wish I had some popcorn.

The robots hit Captain Ryan with the anxiety ray. "The Panicons hit me with an anxiety ray! Ahh!" He holds his head. "We're all gonna die! And I think I left the food replicator on. The ship might burn down!"

"Get it together, Captain! You're our leader, so act like one!" One of the crew members reminds him. Forgot his name. Captain Ryan slaps himself, as he would if it were him and not Crankshaw panicking.

He sighs, closing his eyes at how he was acting. "I'm sorry, Grundch. That was the anxiety ray talking." Ohh, I remember it now. See, I confused it for Grinch, so that's why I had forgotten about it. To be fair, I haven't seen this episode in a while. "I've got it. I'll use the thermal charge," He holds up a gray and blue bomb, throwing it at them. They cover their eyes from the explosion...and then a shuriken is thrown at the power button, turning off the TV.

"What? Hey, what are you doing?" Leo looks at the culprit, which is Raph who's the only one who has the guts to do that.

"That's not cool," I pout at him.

"Oh, sorry. It was Spike's idea," Spike appears on Raph's right shoulder. "He said Space Heroes is too stupid for him. It's already bad enough we've got two people hooked on it."

"That's saying something," Leo sheathes his swords. "Considering he hangs out with you all day."

"Nice going, Leo," Raph glances at Spike, who has gotten off his shoulder and is eating a leaf. "You made him angry, so I'm gonna mop the floor with your face!" He points his finger at Leo, who smacks it away.

"Alright, Raph. Cool off," Leo warns and Raph grits his teeth.

"I'm sure Spike's fine with it," I shrug, looking down at the turtle. "Hi Spikey. Chew on your leaf if you're not angry." He chews a bite and I smile, turning to Raph. "See?"

"That's because he likes ya," Raph huffs, crossing his arms.

"Leo's right, you do need to cool off," I murmur, shaking my head.

"I can help with that!"

Something flies towards me and I duck, Raph getting in the face with a good old-fashioned water balloon. And the only person who would do that is...

Mikey throws up a water balloon in his hand. "Dr. Prankenstein strikes for the win!" Mikey, being the youngest, is a huge prankster above all. He's always hiding around playing pranks on his brothers. Most of the time, their reactions are annoyance, anger, and chasing him until he either escapes their wrath or they beat him up. One time when I was baking a pie, he made it explode in my face. I wasn't angry at him, but the others were. Since I was the only girl, they felt a need to stand up for me. That's sweet, but I can fight my own battles and Mikey was just expressing himself through these pranks of his.

That doesn't mean I won't kick his shell every now and then, though.

Raph glares at him so hard, his eyes are white and I can imagine the fire behind him. Mikey sweats nervously.

"Dude, you should see your face right now," He tries to laugh it off. "You look so mad!"

"Okay, Spike," Raph glances at his pet turtle, "You'll like this show. It's called 'Does Mikey bend that way?' " He cracks his knuckles. Oh man, I hate reruns of that show. He chases after Mikey, Leo and I just staring after him. "Come here, you!" he tackles Mikey and beats him up, something rolling away from them near Donnie's lab. He's obviously doing something scientific, as whenever he's bored, he'll stay cooped up in that lab. But I know one secret weapon that's always guaranteed to work.

Not April, not a new part for something he's inventing, but...a good old cup of coffee. It was so obvious when I spent the first few nights here. Donnie loves coffee. He'll drink if he pulls an all-nighter. He'll sleep in the lab, and rarely does he sleep in his room. Not unless we get a forklift.

I think some sleeping pills might help the guy out.

We decide to check on him as he's working on what looks to be a new means of transportation.

"You're still working on that go-kart?" Raph wonders and Donnie lifts his welding mask.

"It's not a go-kart," he denies, gesturing to it. "It's an all-terrain patrol buggy with detachable sidecars." He shows us the blueprints, showing all the sidecars detached.

"Dude, hasn't Splinter been riding us hard enough?" Mikey asks as he looks at the buggy. "You gotta find a way to relax." To me, it looks like a go-kart, but hey, if Donnie says it's a buggy...

Leo looks at the blueprints. So far, it looks like his new invention is going well, but it's still not finished.

"We all deal with stress in different ways, Mikey," Leo explains, Donnie grinning.

"Yeah, and this is how I deal," Donnie jerks a thumb to himself. He's not wrong. I've seen Donnie work non-stop when he's stressed, but it's not something I'd see often.

"And this is how I deal!" Mikey throws a water balloon. Leo ducks from it and it hits Donnie right in the face. Mikey laughs and Donnie throws down his mask. He chases Mikey around the lab. "You're next, Leo and Amy! Dr. Prankenstein makes house calls!"

"In that case, I'm not really worried," I cross my arms. No offense to his skills, but Mikey's got a long way to go if he thinks he can get me. He may have more stealth experience, but I'm almost a master at it.

"How do you deal with stress, Amy?" Leo questions curiously and I glance up at the ceiling, leaning against Raph's arm.

"Well, I don't experience it enough to have a method, but...I either watch Space Heroes with you," I smile at Leo and Raph rolls his eyes. "Or I just hang out with the others...I may be here temporarily, but hanging out with you just brings me a sense of comfort and laughter. Especially when I need it."

The two smile, Raph ruffling my hair playfully.

"Raph, stop!" I laugh and he chuckles slightly, fixing it for me.

* * *

Later on, after some rest and well-needed relaxation, Leo's standing in front of us, holding up his arms. "Hoko no kamae."

Mikey, Donnie, and I follow his example, but Raph does not. "Raph, hoko no kamae."

"Hoko no way," Raph refuses, pointing at Leo. "It's bad enough Splinter's driving us into the ground. Now you too?"

"We have to keep training, because right now, we don't stand a chance against Shredder," Leo argues, glancing away. "Remember what he did to Amy! One more second and we would've lost her! And then what would her mother say?"

Raph grunts as he looks away, looking a little guilty. I look at Leo, standing in front of him. "Leo, I'm right here..."

"I know, but..." Leo sighs in defeat, not saying anything else about the matter. I can't help but feel honored that they cared about me so much. Mikey holds up a finger.

"Yeah, and he's up there...somewhere...waiting for us," Mikey wiggles his fingers with a creepy look. He starts shaking as we stare at him. "I just freaked myself out!"

"Eheh, yeah..." I back away from him slightly. And then I feel the shiver again. Why is it that It's affecting only me and not them? Does this have to do with that file the Kraang are keeping on me? I know we couldn't delete it since it could be important, but it creeps me out a little that they still have it. And it's getting worse. I feel puffs of ice from my mouth at times, and I almost got sick once, but I managed to get out of that one by drinking a lot of medicine and sitting by my heater. I haven't told them yet as I don't understand what I'm dealing with. I know they'd wanna help, but...it's just a little confusing and complicated right now.

"I hate to say it, but the fact that we've been laying low might be the only reason we're still alive," Donnie speaks up and he pats my shoulder slightly at the memory of my injuries...my marks on my throat are gone, but the memories are still there.

I pop a water balloon from Mikey's hand using a kunai and he frowns slightly.

"Exactly, so until we're ready, we stay down here," Leo agrees.

"Unfortunately, that's not an option." We turn to see April who's waving her phone.

* * *

We've all gathered around the living room, as April recorded something important from the Purple Dragons. They weren't that hard to fool in the first place.

"We're meeting Shredder tonight. He's got a plan to destroy the turtles and Pinkie."

My nose flares up in annoyance as I huff. "How? He doesn't even know where they are."

"He says they're in the sewers somewhere, and that's all he needs to know to wipe them out." The recording stops there and we look up at Splinter.

"Our home is no longer safe. The Shredder must be stopped."

"How can we stop a plan we don't even know?" Leo asks and Mikey's holding a purple water balloon. He pulls out a small knife and pops it, Mikey whining at yet another failure.

"We have to go topside, and find out what they're planning," Raph declares, because if we don't stop this, their home is at stake.

"Raph's right," Leo turns to us. "There's no other way."

* * *

It's daytime, a first for us as we're landing right in front of Shredder's lair. The Purple Dragons are walking inside, probably to talk about their plan. Leo holds up a hand and the rest of us land in the alley, joining him.

"This is the place," he points to it and we look at the building. Raph turns around.

"Donnie, you're crowding me," Raph points out, uncomfortable by the lack of personal space.

"Sorry," Donnie backs away...into a trash can. This frightens Mikey as the back of his shell jumps up, hitting Raph in the face. This in turn makes him bump into me, knocking me against the wall. Mikey smiles sheepishly, letting go of Leo.

"Sorry. All that Splinter talk about how we're not ready has me thinking...maybe we're in over our heads," Mikey explains as I rub my arm. Raph bonks him on the head with his fist.

"You're always in over your head."

"I'm saying now we all are!" Mikey protests, "And that scares me!"

"Scared or not, we have to stop them or who knows what?" I turn to him as Leo places a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"It's okay to be scared, Mikey. Raph is scared too."

"I am not scared," Raph denies and to demonstrate, Leo pokes Raph behind his head. Raph yelps, panicking a little before trying to cover it up by coughing his throat. He glares up at Leo, who smirks, laughing. The turtle obviously is not happy and we hear a growl...that's not from Raph. A huge dog mutant looms over us as he steps out of hiding from the corner. He has orange fur over the majority of his body, and white fur on his palms and stomach area. His most notable features include large, jagged spikes running up the center of his back (and spine). He also has spikes protruding from his left shoulder. His right hand is completely encrusted in the same material as his spikes are - and could be effectively used to block attacks from swords, sai, etc. There is also a notable difference in the size of his two arms; His left is much larger than his right one, and his right arm is quite a bit shorter and smaller than his left. He's wearing pants, thank god, though they are torn at the cuff of the pant legs.

"You should be," He growls and we all recognize the voice.

"Bradford!"

"Rad-Brad!"

He growls at us. For some reason, Xever is not with him. I didn't get a chance to see what he looked like clearly, because I was trying to escape with the other turtles at the time. Maybe his mutation prevented him from coming out of Shredder's lair, for whatever reason. "Look what I found. Four soon-to-be-ex turtles and this...girl."

"I'm sure glad it's okay to be scared," Mikey and Donnie back away as he walks towards us.

"You and me both," Donnie whimpers slightly.

"This is no time to panic!" Leo urges, pulling out his swords. Bradford looks really strong and tall, though... "Okay, maybe a little." The rest of us pull out our weapons. He scrapes his spikes against the ground, growling.

"He keeps getting taller!" Mikey exclaims.

"Then I'll cut him down to size," Leo declares, leaping into the air and trying to attack, but Bradford's left arm blocks it. He tries to punch with his right hand, but Leo dodges it, jumping away from a powerful punch from the right hand. He lands in front of us. "Uh, let's stick together on this one."

"Way to show loyalty, Leo," I deadpan and we dodge a punch from the larger right hand. Raph charges first, but the left hand deflects his sai. Donnie runs up to him, jabbing him in the jaw, but Bradford slams down his right arm. Leo jumps into the air, stabbing one of the spikes and trying to kick him. Bradford throws him around, knocking him off. His strength has definitely increased since his sudden mutation.

I spin around as I hold my sword, trying to strike him. I jump away from his right arm, backflipping. I charge again, gripping my weapon, but he grabs my arm and holds me up into the air, throwing me onto the ground.

Mikey ziplines to him using a cord, but Bradford smacks him into Donnie.

"This is hopeless," Donnie states as we have no idea how to beat him. We're obviously not winning this.

"Keep your head in the game," Leo scolds him. We jump away as he grabs the trash can.

"I just wanna keep my head on my body," Donnie explains as we look at the dog mutant.

"How about we keep all our body parts?" I give Donnie a look.

"Come on, what are we retreating for?" Rpah runs up to Bradford, and is knocked into a dumpster. He lifts the door, looking down. "That's a good reason."

"Mikey, smoke!" Leo orders and Mikey fumbles to get one out. He tries to catch it as it flies out of his hands, but it eventually lands on the ground, causing a tiny smoke bomb to appear. If you don't throw it hard enough, you won't get enough smoke for an escape.

"What was that?" Raph demands.

"I'm stressed!" Mikey takes a breath to calm himself. "Excuse me if my aim's a little off!" We turn to see Bradford, who won't let up in his attack. Raph takes out one of his own smoke bombs.

"How hard is it to hit the ground?" Unfortunately for him, his smoke bomb does not land on the ground, but onto a sewer grate. Raph reaches out to grab it, but the egg drops into the sewer water below.

"Not so easy, is it?" Okay, so we're a little off our game today, but our nerves are shot here.

"Oh will you guys just-" Leo throws down one of his and we successfully escape Bradford.

* * *

We mope around, thinking about the recent events. Definitely not our best effort today... Splinter walks up to us and Leo looks up at him. He looks down at the ground. "We couldn't take him."

"Dogpound was just too powerful," Mikey shakes his head.

"Dogpound?" Leo asks in disbelief that he's doing this now.

"What? Cause he's a dog, and he pounded us into the-"

"We get it," Leo interrupts and I sigh, placing a hand on my cheek. "I don't see how we're gonna get close to that meeting now."

Donnie sighs slightly. "Well, maybe we just need a new place to hide." He shows his laptop, showing a beach in Florida with palm trees. "I hear the sewers in Florida are nice this time of year. I know Amy would want to be near us and she can move back home..."

April sits next to him, grabbing the laptop. "No, we're not letting you guys give up." She closes the laptop and I nod in agreement, standing up as I feel inspired.

"April's right, we can do this!" I punch my hands together.

"I'll spy on the meeting."

My eyes widen and the turtles join my side.

"No way."

"Nuh uh."

"You can't."

"Forget it."

"Absolutely not!"

"April, I'm telling you this because you're my friend," I take a deep breath, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're crazy."

"I am not!" April gently moves my hand off her shoulder. "I can do this," She looks up at Splinter. "You've been training me to be a kunoichi!"

"For a few weeks," Splinter points out.

"What choice do we have? Shredder's gonna attack your home, and we need to find out how, and besides Amy, I'm the only one who can do it."

We all glance to each other, as she does make a good point...She looks at Splinter, who crosses his arms.

* * *

April walks up to Shredder's lair, dressed like a pizza delivery person as she's got a pizza box in her hand. The turtles and I run up to the building across, leaping down to a lower building rooftop. We look over the edge at April.

"I don't like this," Donnie states his discomfort.

"Me neither. Giving the enemy a free pizza?" Mikey scoffs, "Never a good idea."

I roll my eyes as April knocks on the door. A Foot ninja opens the door. "Hey, did somebody here order a totally delicious pizza?" The ninja slams the door in her face. She looks around before running to the alley nearby. She calls Leo and sighs. "Looks like the Foot Clan are smarter than the Purple Dragons."

Um, I know the Purple Dragons are idiots and would fall for anything, but these are highly trained ninjas. I'd be surprised if they did fall for April's trick. Besides, I don't think they're the type to care about free food...

"Givin' 'em way too much credit, April," I murmur to myself.

"They'd almost have to be, wouldn't they? Thanks, April. You did your best," Leo tells her from his T-Phone. The bell rings from Shredder's lair, as it was an abandoned church.

"At least we've still got the pizza," Mikey comments and April chuckles.

"Oh, I'm not done yet."

"Wait," Donnie leans forward. "What is she doing?"

I see April dumping the pizza into the dumpster near her. "Not the pizza! She's gone rogue," Mikey narrows his eyes and I pinch my nose. She walks up to another door and knocks on it.

"May I help you?"

"Sir, I'm with the firefighters association, local 94," She quickly shows an ID, which is probably her school ID. I already know she doesn't drive. "We've received reports of some faulty wiring in this building, so mind if I have a look see?"

"Well, I-I don't think-"

She pushes past him to get inside. "Thanks!"

"She's so cool," Donnie says in awe. She's planning on using that building to get to the rooftops, which means she has to jump between buildings for the first time. I know she's had training, but I hope she can do it.

After a few minutes, Leo gets another phone call from April, where we listen in on a conversation from Shredder. "The chemical is extremely rare, so you will not have another chance."

"Chemical? What chemical?" Raph asks so loud, we can't hear.

"How bout we listen and find out?" Donnie whispers to him.

"How about I break you shell on my knee?" Raph threatens and their veins clash for a brief moment. I pressure point their necks and they cry out.

"Ah, ah, mercy!" Donnie whispers in pain.

"Let go of me!"

"How about you two shut it for a minute while we try to hear Shredder's evil plan!" Leo points to his phone.

"Which will destroy them once and for all. Now go." Unfortunately, Raph and Donnie's argument blocked out their conversation. And we can't rewind the content of a phone call.

"We missed it! Oh great. Nice going, guys."

"We gotta get April out!" Donnie is about to jump off to go get her, but Leo stops him.

"No, if we rush in there, we put her at risk. We wait."

Donnie droops in dismay. I step up and pat his back. "April will be fine. They won't notice she's there. We'll get her eventually."

Donnie smiles weakly at me.

April has gotten out of the lair because here's the next thing she says: "I'm gonna hitch a ride, see where they go."

"No, you've done enough," Leo whispers. "Get out of there." We then hear a loud growl. "Bradford heard you. April, run!"

We hear a gasp from April and by the time we get down there, the van is already getting away with Dogpound hanging from the side.

"No! We're too late!" Donnie cries out as we can't follow them on foot. Leo then tries to get call April, but gets nothing.

"April. April! Are you there?"

"She's not gonna answer, Leo," Donnie tells him, as her phone was probably taken away at this point. "What do we do?"

Leo starts panicking, just like Captain Ryan from the episode we both watched today. "We gotta get April out of that van, but-but Dogpound's in there, and-and we're not ready to fight that guy. Aw, Splinter was right!" he holds his head. "We should've stayed below."

I glance at the turtles in worry, wondering how we're gonna calm him down so we can figure out a plan to save April. If he keeps this up, it'll be too late and April might be gone forever. Raph closes his eyes, sighing in defeat.

"Ugh, I can't believe I'm gonna say this," Raph groans to himself. He puts on a brave face, clenching his fist. 'Get it together, Captain! You're our leader, so act like one!"

Wow, he got that spot on despite only seeing that part once. If being a ninja doesn't work out, he can always take acting classes. Leo lifts his head up, out of his funk as he turns slightly.

"You're right, Raph. That was the anxiety ray talking," He smiles at Raph for doing that.

"What, that's it?" Raph grins at him. "You're not gonna slap yourself?"

Leo scoffs as Raph would love to see that. "Let's save April."

"And our home," Raph adds and I grin at Raph for helping Leo.

"But we'll never catch him on foot," Donnie reminds us and Leo turns around.

"We're going on foot."

Oh no...I know what his angle is. And Donnie's not gonna like it.

* * *

We drive down the street using the Patrol Buggy that Donnie invented. Raph is in the orange seat next to Leo in front, with Donnie behind Leo and Mikey behind Raph. I'm actually in the middle, with a pink car that has medium-sized wheels. We're all wearing helmets, for protection. Leo's the only one actually driving, since he's in the driver's seat.

"Yeah, this is rad!" Mikey cheers.

"It's not ready!" Donnie protests as Leo makes a sharp right turn. He screams as Leo makes another turn.

"This thing is awesome!" Mikey exclaims in glee, "Does it have a radio?"

"No, it doesn't have a radio!" Donnie shouts at him over the noise, "I'm telling ya, it's not ready!"

Leo pulls a lever and we go faster. "Seems ready to me." his steering wheel suddenly pops off. "Whoa!" He reattaches it. Man, it must've been in the prototype stage if it's already breaking apart. "Eh, okay, don't pull on that, and we'll be fine."

We eventually catch up with the truck, which is following a tanker full of something. Must be chemical meant to destroy us.

"Raph, Amy, get ready," Leo warns us.

"For what?"

"This!" Leo pulls a lever, separating Raph and Mikey from him and leaving me alone on the streets!

"Ack!" I pull my steering wheel as I move to the left, avoiding the two vehicles.

"Whoa!" Raph drives to the right and Mikey laughs as we follow after them. "Leo! You could've been a little more specific."

"Not cool!" I shout at him as I continue driving.

"Where's the fun in that?" Leo winks at me and my face gets hotter by his action. "Get ready." Donnie and I get a closer look at what the name is on the back of the tanker.

"Chlorosulfonic acid? Leo, I think I figured out Shredder's plan! That acid reacts violently with water!"

"So if he dumps it into the sewer..."

"All of it will be destroyed in seconds, including the lair!" I finish for him as my hair flies past in the wind.

"And Splinter!" Leo adds in worry. "We gotta stop them." We continue following after them, with the truck going left and splitting from the tanker. "Donnie, you and Raph stay with the van and save April. Amy and Mikey, you're coming with me. We have to stop that tanker!"

"Uh, if you haven't noticed, I'm stuck with Raph," Mikey points out.

"No problem," Raph chuckles and pulls a lever, detaching Mikey's car. He screams in horror and I look behind me. "Well that was fun!"

"Told ya!" Leo pulls his lever and Donnie separates from him, hollering as he and Raph turn left to catch up with the van. Mikey, Leo, and I stay on the road as we catch up to the tanker. Dogpound looks behind him and growls when he sees that we haven't lost them yet. Leo drives between Mikey and I, and he glances at us. "Mikey, Amy, let's slow this thing down. Fire grappling hooks!" A grappling hook fires from the front of his car.

"Got it!"

"Okay!"

We both fire ours, but when they're dragged further, they all snap off from our cars.

"Donnie did say they weren't ready!" Mikey calls out.

"I know!" Leo says, but we didn't have a choice. I just hope Donnie and Raph have better progress with their carts if they're having the same problems.

The tanker eventually skids to a stop as Dogpound jumps off. He throws a manhole cover towards Leo. He jumps into the air, landing a few feet away from the mutant. "Is that all you got?"

Dogpound charges towards me and I gasp, leaping out of the car as he kicks my cart away. Mikey skids to a stop.

"I'd say that's a no!"

We charge towards him and he swings his arm. We all jump into the air, but he punches Mikey away. Leo and I slice our swords at his arm, but it does no effect. Mikey lands a few feet away and I turn to him in concern.

"Mikey!"

Since I'm distracted, Dogpound uses this to punch me towards a pole. Leo attacks him until he's punched onto the road. Mikey jumps, kicking him and landing on a lamp post. He jumps back to Dogpound and he kicks Leo away. I spin around him, attacking back and forth, but it does nothing. He picks me up by my shirt and throws me towards the two turtles, near a trash can. Leo throws down a smoke bomb and the two turtles disappear. This leave me alone since I wasn't near them. I cringe up at Dogpound as he walks towards me.

"Since you're friends with them, I'll take you down first!"

I hold out my hand in front of my head, to try and block the blow. I squeeze my eyes shut, but nothing happens. Confused, I open my eyes to see that Dogpound's hand is covered in ice! I open my mouth in shock, looking at my hand. Did I do that? I stand up as a Foot ninja is holding a hose, preparing to dump it into the sewers.

"What is this?!" Dogpound slams his hand down, breaking the ice and I jump up into the air, pointing my hands towards him.

"Come on, come on. I did it once, I can do it again! Concentrate!" I close my eyes and I feel something bursting out of my hand. I look down and chuckle in relief as I covered him in snow, distracting him. I can't believe what just happened! Is this what the Kraang meant by powers? If so, I'm liking this. I can see it now...

I land near the two turtles. "Don't let him dump that acid!" Leo calls out as Dogpound reaches us. We move away as Mikey hands onto a pipe. He lands on the road, running towards the Foot ninja. He rolls and kicks the ninja away from the hose. He pulls out a sword and Mikey spins his nunchucks, charging towards the ninja. Dogpound growls, jumping down and landing on the street. I jump in front of him and throw some snow into his face. He raises his fist and Leo jumps from behind, but Dogpound knocks him back. He jumps towards Dogpound, who swings around a car. I jump over it and Leo attacks him again, only to be picked up and thrown into Mikey.

"Hey, focus on me!" I shout as I fire an ice dagger at him.

"I don't have time for your games!" He yells at me as he advances towards Leo and Mikey. They roll out of the way and Leo attacks him, but he grabs Leo's arm, pushing him against the tanker. Leo looks up as some of the chemical drips down. He kicks Dogpound off him and rolls away as more of the acid bursts out. He looks at it and then Dogpound.

"What'd Donnie say about this stuff?"

I snap my fingers. "When they react with water, it'll incinerate anything in seconds!"

Leo turns to Mikey. "Mikey, throw the water balloon!"

"Uh, what water balloon?" Mikey asks innocently.

"The one you were gonna hit Amy with?"

I look behind Mikey to see a yellow water balloon and I place my hands on my hips, glaring at him. "Dude, you are good."

He throws it at the acid, Leo pushing us out of the way from the explosion. We hide behind a car and look up to see the tanker on fire, destroying the chemical for good. "Nice shot Mik-" Leo is pelted in the face with a water balloon.

"Dr. Prankenstein for the win!"

I facepalm with a sigh. He may have saved the day this time, but the end result was at Leo's own expense. Truly an inspiration.

"You had two?" Leo asks in shock. "Where do you keep them?"

"Don't," I cover Mikey's mouth. "answer that. Please."

Leo suddenly smirks. "You didn't get Amy, Mikey."

My eyes widen as Mikey grins evilly. He pulls out another one, but I duck out of the way as it hits Leo. "Aw man," Mikey pouts while Leo is unamused.

"Ha ha!" I laugh, wiggling my finger. "Ain't happening."

"You will be a victim...!" Mikey points at me creepily with a large evil grin and that gives me nightmares. Donnie and Raph run up to us.

"Eh, looks like we missed the fireworks," Raph comments at the fire.

"Yeah..." I look down at my hand. It's still unbelievable...I really did that...

"Donnie, the go-kart worked great. Nice job," Leo congratulates and Donnie smiles.

"Thanks Leo...and it's a patrol buggy."

"Does it matter?" I ask him slowly and he drops his finger, staying silent.

* * *

When we've returned home, we're eating a victory pizza that Mikey got us, and we all take a slice. "Nothing says victory like the sweet taste of pizza," Mikey eats his whole. Donnie takes a bite and his eyes widen. I smell mine and hold in my vomit.

"Ugh, this pizza smells kinda funky. Where'd you get it?"

"It's the one April threw out," Mikey states and the three of us spit it out, Raph trying to cough up his. I cover my mouth, running over to the bathroom. I put toothpaste on my toothbrush, a lot, and start brushing my teeth rapidly. "What? We live in a sewer. Now you're clean freaks?" He chuckles, taking the ones we spit out. "More for me." He starts eating and Raph growls at him while I'm looking at him like he's crazy.

"My children." We turn to Splinter who approaches us. "I owe you my gratitude, and an apology."

"An apology?" Leo asks in confusion.

"Fear clouded your mind. However, it was not the Shredder who fueled that fear, but me. You overcame that fear, and performed admirably. No training today..."

"Yes!" We all cheer, Mikey holding something behind his back.

"Unless Michelangelo throws that balloon at Amelia."

We glance at Mikey and he smiles sheepishly.

"Oh, you're so gonna get it!" Raph declares and we tackle him as payback for all the pranks he pulled, whether he succeeded or not.

* * *

I pace around in the kitchen, not sure what to do. Glancing down at my hands, I sigh. I hadn't told them about my powers yet, so I called for a meeting in the kitchen. I don't know how they'll react...will they express fear, disgust? What if they don't wanna be around me anymore? What if...what if they think I'm a danger to them that they'll want me to leave?

I scoff at the possibility. "Come on, Amy, they're your friends, they're not cruel...well, except Raph. Oh man, how did it all come to this? I wish my mother could give me some advice on this, but she can't..." I shake my hair slightly as my nerves increase.

"Whoa, ease up, dudette."

I shriek at the sudden voice, turning to the turtles standing at the doorway. Sighing for like the 100th time already, I lean against the sink.

"You okay, Amy? You seemed pretty serious about this meeting," Donnie says as he eyes me like he's trying to figure out why I'm so nervous.

"To be honest, no," I admit, scratching my arm and I can already feel my hand getting colder. I hide it by crossing my arms.

"What'd you call us for? We meeting the Pope or something?" Raph asks teasingly and I roll my eyes.

"Shut up and sit."

Raph holds up his hands in defense and sits down. Leo steps up to me. "Okay, okay, calm down. Whatever it is, it's clearly bothering you," Leo gives Raph a look, "And whatever it is, we'll do what we can."

"...Are you sure about that?" I ask skeptically.

"Positive."

"Of course."

"We can handle it."

"We'll be cool about this, dudette!"

I smile weakly as Splinter and April step into the room. "So what's this all about?" April sits down next to Donnie and he grins.

"No words. Just...watch." I open up my palm and a snowflake emerges from my hand. Mikey's mouth opens in shock as their eyes widen.

"What...just happened?" Raph murmurs.

"You...you have ice powers?!" Donnie puts his hand on his head.

"Shut up!" Mikey exclaims in excitement. "Do it again, do it again!"

"Mikey," Leo gives him a look.

"Wow, that's...wow," April mutters.

"Interesting..."

"Eheh..." I rub my neck sheepishly at their reactions. "Not really sure what that means..."

They all glance at each other before looking at me. "It means that we think it's cool," Raph grins smugly.

"Yeah, I think it's great you have these new powers," Leo smiles at me.

"I'll have to do those tests earlier than I thought..." Donnie thinks to himself.

"This is so cool! We can have snowball fights whenever we want!" Mikey hugs me. "And make snowmen, and-"

"Um, maybe when we're not trying to stop mutants, ninjas, and archenemies," April smiles slightly.

I laugh in relief. "Oh thank goodness...I thought you'd all be angry."

"Angry?" Splinter asks in confusion.

"Well, yeah...since I can't really control them yet...I thought you would be scared and not want me around anymore..."

"That's crazy talk!" Leo immediately denies, holding my shoulders. "It just makes you...unique."

"Yeah, we won't abandon ya," Raph winks.

"It'd be hard to do," Donnie admits, "You've done a lot for not only for us, but yourself."

"We like you!" Mikey tries not to cry, April and Splinter nodding in agreement. I smile happily at them.

"Thanks, you guys. Now I just gotta figure out how I'm gonna control these powers..." I look down at my hand.

"Of course. If you ever need help, talk to me, okay?" Leo grins down at me. "I don't know if I'll be helpful in any way, but it wouldn't hurt to listen."

I smile up at him. "I'll take you up on that offer...probably soon because I think I just froze my phone."

We all laugh as I hold up my frozen T-Phone.


	11. Mousers Attack

Splinter stands in front of us during our kata practices. It's another one of our weekly training sessions as Raph quickly performs the finishing move. "Ha! What? Are you fighting a guy in slow motion?" He glances back at Leo.

"I suppose I could do it faster if I ignored my form," Leo finishes off his move next to me. "Like you." He winks at me and I chuckle as I finish my move off.

"Ignore this form!" Raph jumps above Leo and they begin fighting each other. The rest of us stop as Splinter steps up to him. He pressure points both of the fighting brothers. They fall onto the ground and I grin, as I learned pressure points from him a while ago. But seeing it in action is just as hilarious as when I do it.

"Competition is an excellent motivator but not when it turns you against each other." Raph and Leo stand up. "So now, you will spar three on two."

"Okay," Leo grins, crossing his arms. "I'll take Amy and Don-"

"You will take Raphael and Amelia."

The two brothers glance at each other. I get the sense they're always sparring against each other, not with each other. Well...at least he got half his wish?

"You two must focus on working together, not competing with each other. Amelia, you are to make sure that this bond does not break between them. That is why I am placing you with them. Your powers are meant to be stronger when you focus, as they will demonstrate," He gestures to Raph and Leo. I nod in understanding. I haven't been training with my newfound powers for that long, but sometimes he'll ask me to spar with them to see how they work. I've made a little progress, but they'll still go out of control at times.

"Okay, so me and Raph against Mikey and Donnie?" Leo chuckles at the thought. "And Amy's allowed to use her powers? Uh, isn't that a little unfair?"

Whoaaaa, where did that come from? If I were in their shoes, I'd feel personally attacked right now.

"Wait, what are you trying to say?" Donnie places his hands on his hips while Mikey crosses his arms.

"Um, how can I put this gently?" Raph thinks to himself. I'm surprised he actually cares. "Ice princess, you do it."

"Oh no, I am _not_ getting involved in this," I hold up my hands in defense. "And don't call me ice princess." Ever since I told them about my powers, he's been calling me that non-stop.

"Fine. We're...way better than you guys," Raph explains to them.

Mikey scoffs, waving his hand. "At fighting, maybe."

Raph chuckles slightly. "Uh, that's what I meant."

"Oh?" Mikey asks as a vein appears on Donnie's head. "Fine."

Splinter looks between all of us and we take our stances. Leo and Raph grin at their brothers while they glare at the older ones. I hesitantly make my hands chilly. I didn't wanna hurt 'em for their pride, but if I must...

"Hajime!"

Leo punches Mikey and elbows him. Raph punches Donnie and kicks him while I use my powers to knock them down. Raph and Leo laugh, high-threeing before they switch opponents, knocking them down. Mikey and Donnie both have snow coming from their shells, courtesy of me.

"Ya me!"

"You were right, Sensei. Working together is fun," Raph grins at Leo and I cringe, bending down to the two.

"Sorry, guys, but I didn't have a choice."

Donnie and Mikey give me a weak thumbs up.

* * *

Later on, Space Heroes is on TV. Leo comes in with two plates of pizza. Mikey and Donnie haven't said much since their little...spat with their older brothers. "Look, guys. Amy, Raph, and I may be better fighters, but you're still an important part of this team."

"Hmm. As important as you three?" Donnie retorts, Leo glancing at Raph. The turtle's reading one of his magazines. They both look at me and I ignore them, looking at the TV. I made it clear that I won't get involved, and honestly, the fact that they're trying to involve me is baffling. I never really cared about who was superior because when I first met them, I already thought they were skilled enough on their own. So, I could care less about this. Leo looks back at his two brothers.

"Very important. We shouldn't compare ourselves. It-It's like apples and oranges."

"Yeah, if apples were way better, which they are," I hear Raph mutter. I pick up a pillow and throw it at him, knocking him off his seat.

"So, the truth comes out," Donnie accuses as Mikey stands up.

"You guys think of us as some kind of...B team!"

"I don't think you're a B-team!" I turn around to them. "All of you are equally skilled, so I don't see why you need to have this argument."

"Good one, Dr. Name-enstein. We'll call you the B-team," Raph replies and Mikey crosses his arms, grinning.

"Thanks," Mikey then realizes what just happened. "I mean, hey."

I drag my hand down my face. "Stop it right now," I tell Raph.

Leo hands me the plate of pizza and I take it silently. "There's no shame in it. Look," He points to Space Heroes, "They've got a B-team too."

Oh wait, I remember this. "We'll need back-up. You two in the shirts, you're coming with us," Captain Ryan orders and they both salute to him. What's weird is that they're wearing an orange and purple shirt respectively. I know one of them is named Rodriguez, and the purple shirt is taller than his comrade. I glance at Donnie and Mikey weirdly. So creepy.

They teleport onto a planet, and not even a second later, those guys are dead.

"Rodriguez, and...that other guy! They're gone!" Crankshaw exclaims in shock.

"Well, that's why we bring them alone."

"Oh wooow," I scoff, turning to Leo. "Not a good example, Leo." I eat some of my slice.

"Thanks a lot," Donnie crosses his arms and Leo chuckles.

"The point is, they had an important function," Leo takes a bite out of his pizza.

"So Amy, does this mean you're on our side?" Mikey asks hopefully and I look around nervously. This is exactly why I don't want to get involved, because I don't wanna choose sides. In my opinion, they're all equally skilled. After all, they ALL saved my life, and April's.

"Umm, I kinda..."

"No way, she's obviously on ours. She took you guys down last week," Raph points at them.

"Doesn't mean we can't have her with us! She likes us better," Donnie brags, crossing his arms.

"But I'm not-"

"Yeah, we're nicer to her!" Mikey pouts to Raph and Leo.

"Does this matter? When I first met you, you-"

"She likes Space Heroes, she's clearly with us," Leo states and they all begin arguing. I rub my temple at their voices, getting annoyed by the minute as a vein appears at my forehead. God, if you can hear me, get me out of this situation...

We hear someone entering to see April walking towards us. The turtles stop arguing to look at her. She looks upset, like something just happened. Yus! At April's arrival, not because she's sad. I'm so glad I got out of that one, because I would've frozen them right there and then.

"April!" We all approach her. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" Donnie asks in concern.

"I just got mugged by the Purple Dragons. They stole my phone!" She explains and I gasp, covering my mouth.

"Oh no!" I hug her.

"Don't worry. We'll kick their butts for you," Leo declares.

"Yeah, we'll teach those punks to mess with April O'Neil," Raph punches his hands together.

"Guys, it's just a phone. I'll get another one," April tells them.

"I have to agree. The Purple Dragons aren't worth it and phones are replaceable," I place my arm on April's shoulder. "And besides, it's not even a major thing to beat them up for." Unless they prove they're an actual threat tonight, I don't think we should do it. I mean, come on, it's the Purple Dragons. What are they gonna do, set a building on fire?

"Come on. What's the point of being a ninja if you can't help your friends when they get robbed?" Donnie asks her.

"The girls are right." We turn to Splinter. He needs a bell one of these days. "It is best to let this go."

"What do you mean?" Leo questions in confusion. "Why shouldn't we get her phone back? We'd do it if it was Amy too."

April smirks at me, elbowing me in the arm slightly. I give her a look that says 'Don't.' I...don't really know my feelings towards him. Not yet. I like him as a friend, but do I like him more than that? I know that we had this connection when we met, but...not sure what it's supposed to mean.

"One cannot predict the consequences of battle," He walks up to us. "Every fight has the potential to stir a hornet's nest. A simple cell phone does not justify this risk."

"What risk? It's the Purple Dragons, even Mikey and Donnie could beat 'em."

"Hey!" They both exclaim and I roll my eyes.

"Even if it's just to get your brothers here all riled up," I jerk a thumb at Mikey and Donnie. "I still don't think we should do it."

"Sorry Amy, but it's four to one," Leo shrugs at me. "Don't worry, Sensei. We'll be careful. Come on, Amy."

I sigh in defeat as we leave the lair, leaving April and Splinter behind.

* * *

Raph kicks Sid, the largest member, into a wall. Their hideout is the Fortune Cookie Factory, so they're not that hard to find, really. Fong spits out his drink.

"The turtles and Pinkie?"

"Sup?" Raph asks casually as we land next to him.

"Waaa!" Mikey does a karate pose.

"My name is not Pinkie!" I yell at them. "It's Amy!"

"Get 'em!" Tosi growls as he jumps into the air.

"Bring it!" Mikey pulls out his nunchucks.

"Coming through!" Raph kicks him away, Mikey growling at him. Fong and Donnie charge at each other, but Leo gets in the way.

"I got it!" He kicks up in the air, hitting Fong in the stomach. Donnie protests as a vein appears on his forehead.

"Let's get out of here!" Fong and Tsoi run, since Sid was already knocked down from before. Raph and Mikey stand in front of them, blocking their way. They turn around, only to be stopped by Leo, Donnie, and I. Leo pushes Fong to the wall, trapping him.

"You punks stole a phone from a friend of ours. We want it back," He demands and Fong scoffs at him.

"Whatever. We steal a lot of phones. Impressed?" He winks at him and I gag, disgusted. Leo squeezes his throat slightly, shocking the rest of us as Fong starts to choke a little. "Ack!"

"Well, let's see 'em. _Now!_ " Leo orders, gritting his teeth. He looks really annoyed and angry all of a sudden...I wonder why.

* * *

We look at all the stuff they've stolen lately. Electronics, paintings... Donnie points to something on the table. "Hey, that looks like it." There's a red phone leaning across something with a charm at the bottom.

Suddenly, the place starts shaking and we look around, wide-eyed. "Does anyone else feel that?"

"What's going on?" Sid asks in confusion and our curiosities are died down as these weird silver robots with big mouths crash through the floor.

"What the heck?" Leo wonders as they start stealing from the Purple Dragons. They then take the items back by jumping into the hole and disappearing.

"Hey, those things are stealing the stuff we stole!" Sid exclaims in protest.

"Better them than you!" I retort to him and Leo looks around. Something wasn't right.

"Wait, where's...?" He looks up to see Fong running up the stairs, laughing. He holds up the phone, saluting to us. "He's got the phone! B-team, get him! We'll handle the metal!" Leo pulls out his swords.

"Hey, we are-"

"Just go!" Leo yells to them.

"If you guys can't handle it, don't be ashamed to call for help," Raph points to them, following Leo. Mikey looks offended by that and pouts at me.

"Amy, you're going with them? I thought you were on our side!"

"I'm on my own team. Wait a minute, this shouldn't even be a conversation!" I back away to follow Leo and Raph. Personally, I never wanted to deal with the Purple Dragons regardless, and they'd be too easy for me to fight. That's why I'm going with the robots so I can actually have a challenge...and have a chance to try out my powers.

"Traitor!" Mikey points at me dramatically. "Maybe you should call us for help. Or don't call us, we'll call you. Wait, I mean-"

"I think they got it," Donnie assures him and I hear a raspberry. Oh yeah, real mature.

Raph throws one of his sai at a robot, knocking it to the wall and shutting it down. Leo cuts one into pieces, kicking one away. He lunges at another one, cutting into pieces. I point my hand at some, freezing them. I turn around and slice one in half. Some of them run away down into the hole, one of them screeching until Leo disables it.

"Come on. Let's see where these things are coming from." Leo suddenly grabs me into his arms and I shriek in surprise as the two jump down the hole.

I hope Donnie and Mikey have better luck with the phone.

* * *

We land into Baxter Stockman's lair, where the robots are surrounding him with all the stolen things. "Dexter Spackman," Raph narrows his eyes, spinning his sais into his hands.

"Baxter Stockman," I whisper to him.

"It's Baxter Stockman!" Stockman exclaims.

"I was close," Raph shrugs carelessly.

"So you're here to stop me again. Well, you don't stand a chance against my MOUSERS." One of them snaps its jaws at us.

"Mousers?" Leo asks in confusion.

"Mobile, offensive, underground, search, excavation, and retrieval sentries," Stockman explains and I glance at Leo.

"Seems a little forced," Leo comments.

"More like lame," I cough into my fist.

"Since my test robbery was successful, it's time to move on to bigger targets. These are about to make me very, very rich," He grins evilly.

"And we're gonna make you very, very hurt," Raph threatens and we walk towards him. He pulls out this bottle and sprays us with it.

"Acid! Protect your eyes!" Leo calls out and we cover them, coughing, but nothing's happening to us.

"Wait. We're fine," Raph turns to Leo, who coughs before he realizes that he only sprayed us.

"Wait, what?" I ask in confusion as my eyes aren't irritated or anything.

"You're right." But he must've done something. Why spray us to have nothing happen? It's not like him. "Get him!"

"Get me? No, you will be the ones who will be getting got! ...Gotten? Get them!" The robots run towards us, but we defeat them easily, landing at the top of the stairs.

"Ha, all gone!" Raph brags.

"Aw, did we break your little toys?" I tease him.

"Good thing I made extra," Stockman presses a button from his remote and a hatch opens up. We look down to see plenty of Mousers, all of which we can't fight at once. They stand in front of Stockman and we glance to each other, jumping into battle. We start slicing left and right, but there's too many of them to take down.

"I'm calling it. Time to go!" Leo takes off.

"I'll allow it," Raph says nervously.

"You got my vote!"

We jump down from the platform as Stockman is laughing at us. "You can't laugh forever. Soon the Mousers will crush your bones in their jaws. Such is the fate of anyone foolish enough to trifle with Baxter Stock-" I don't hear the rest because something interrupted him. Good, because that monologue was getting boring.

* * *

The two turtles and I are running across the rooftops, trying our best to get those Mousers off our backs, or shells. I jump onto a fire escape and leap to the roof nearby. Leo and Raph slide to a stop and I press my back against the wall, a little exhausted.

"You think we lost them yet?" Leo asks and we look down the street to see the Mousers having already found us. Raph turns to us.

"I'd say no."

"How are those things tracking us?" Leo wonders as we jump to the next building.

"It's gotta be that stuff he sprayed us with," Raph deduces, and I think he's right as they didn't start chasing us until after we were sprayed.

"I've seen this kind of tracking before, but I can't put my finger on it..." I murmur, rubbing my chin. I know that I've seen it, since my mom briefly did an experiment with it, but I don't remember what it does...

"Oh yeah, real helpful, ice princess. And this is coming from the daughter of not one, but two scientists," Raph calls out and I glare at him.

"Alright, we better call Donnie," Leo suggests and Raph turns to him, not happy about it at all.

"You wanna get bailed out by the B-team? Forget that."

"Hey, it's not a crime to ask for help!" I yell as we jump to another building.

"Maybe we won't have to," Leo is talking about a water tower up ahead. "Whatever this stuff is, we'll just wash it off," He cuts off a pipe, spraying us with water.

"Aah, cold!" Raph shivers slightly and I smirk at him.

"You don't know cold, buddy," I comment as I squeeze my hair dry and he grunts.

"That oughta do it."

We hear a shriek behind us and we see more Mousers climbing towards us.

"Or not," I murmur in shock.

"Of course, we could call Donne just to say hi," Raph says nervously.

Leo calls Donnie, who answers it. "I'm kind of in the middle of something."

"Is that Leo? Tell him my operation names," I hear from Mikey.

"What's the matter? Oh don't tell me the A-team needs our help," Donnie brags and I glance down from my spot.

"Uh, no," Leo chuckles nervously. "No, of course not. No, we're great. I-I'm just, you know, checking to see if you guys need any help." I roll my eyes at their pride. They're so confident that they don't even wanna ask their brothers for assistance...

"We got this. We followed Fong to the defunct futon factory on Fifth."

"Say that five times fast," Mikey calls out.

"Anyway, we've got an awesome plan to get the phone. How are you guys doing?"

"You know, good...ish." He doesn't mention the fact that we're on top of the water tower, as the Mousers have surrounded us from down below. They start chewing on the support of the structure and Leo's eyes widen. I raise my hand, causing icicles to form underneath the Mousers, impaling them. We all sigh in relief...until more of them show up. "Whoops, call waiting! Gotta go!" He hangs up, turning to Raph. "You were right."

"He was?" I ask in confusion.

"We've gotta beat these things on our own if it kills us."

"Uh..."

"Okay, bad choice of words."

Suddenly, we fall through the water tower, crashing.

* * *

We're fighting more of the Mousers. I can't tell how many we've fought so far, but it's too much to count. Leo slices through some and he looks down at us.

"Look guys," He holds up his swords, showing five robot heads attached to his swords. "Mouser kabobs."

I chuckle until four more lunge at Raph and I. Raph grabs them and throws two down onto the street below. I spin around, kicking them the other two into a trash can. Raph pants as he looks up at Leo.

"These things are a cakewalk."

"Someone just do it, end me. End my life," I pant as I place my hand on my knees. I'd rather be dead than do all this...

We jump down a fire escape, landing in the alley as another Mouser is there. Raph kicks it away as we all hold trash can lids as shields. I throw one into another trash can and hear a shriek, turning around. We tilt the trash can up so that the Mouser that was gonna attack us lands inside. They claw at each other and we look down to the alley. Another freakin' wave of Mousers...yaaaaay...

They run towards us and we seal off the trash can, planting our feet against it.

"Now!" Leo signals and we kick it towards the group. It only knocks out ONE as the others maneuvered around it. "I could do this all day."

"Me too," Raph says as the two of us are fending off the robots with our shields. He knocks one into the air, but a truck is headed in his path.

"Raph!"

"Get out of the way!" I screech as his eyes widen. He rolls out of the way just in time, with the Mousers getting destroyed by the passing truck. I stare down the vehicle, shaking my fist. "Hey, you idiot, normally people stop if someone's in the street! Road hog! You don't deserve no driver's license!"

Raph is laughing by the time I get over there. "That was so fun," He deadpans at almost being run over, Leo and I offering our hands. We help him up and I want you to guess what happens next using your context clues.

We look down the alley, to see more of them...! Just how many did this guy make? He must've had a lot of time on his hands...he needs to get out more.

"It's almost too much fun," Leo pants and we run off.

"Yeah, so freaking fun I wanna jump off a building," I smile widely as one of my eyes twitches.

We turn a corner, stopping at a lamp post. "Okay, this is crazy," Leo states, "Maybe we should call-"

"We can do this," Raph interrupts as he takes a breath.

"How?" I ask him in disbelief and he looks up.

"I got an idea. Ice princess, when I tell you to, use your powers."

"But I still can't control them!" I call out as I see more Mousers.

"Just do it!"

"Rrgh." I don't have much a choice, since they're still chasing us, one. And two, what do I have to lose? The Mousers screech at us as we're standing on the lamp post.

"Up here, Metal Mouth!" Leo eggs, tapping his sword against the post. One of them starts chewing on the pole and Leo pulls out his other sword. Leo nods at us.

"Amy, now!"

I move my hands around as snow surrounds them, causing little glaciers to form around the Mousers' feet. This traps them into place. Leo jumps down and lands on one of their hands, jumping around and slicing one in half. He jumps up into the air and slices some more, landing on a fire extinguisher. My mouth opens in shock at his moves. He's so fluent and fast. A Mouser that was not captured jumps, landing at the extinguisher and causing it to open. It explodes, washing them all. The pole is close to snapping, but Raph grabs me and grabs a rope, hollering as we jump away and land in front of a store. The pole falls down, shocking them all and disabling them.

"Told you we didn't need those guys," Raph replies and we hear a noise, our eyes shrinking. We look down the street...not again...

"Oh come on," Leo groans in exhaustion as we run off again. I end up tripping since I'm so tired of running. "Amy!" Leo grabs me and carries me over to a warehouse. They shut the doors and barricade it shut. "You okay?" Leo looks down at me and I nod, leaning against the door between the two. They're trying to break in by ramming the door.

"Okay, I admit it. I wish Donnie were here, I bet he could find a way to get these things off our tail," Raph tells us and a Mouser claws its way through the door below me. I shriek, jumping into the air. "Make the call!"

Leo calls him, but no answer. "He's not picking up!"

I call Mikey, only to get the same result. "Mikey's not answering either. I think something happened to them."

"I should've known they'd need us to bail them-" The Mousers push down the door. I turn around and close my eyes, feeling the snow from my hands. They erupt and when I open my eyes, all the Mousers are frozen. I sigh in relief, pulling out my T-Phone.

"Amy, that was amazing!" Leo exclaims in shock.

"Heck yeah! You kick butt!" Raph cheers as I'm doing something with my phone. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to pinpoint Donnie's last known signal. Huh, says here their phones are offline..."

"So?" Raph asks, standing up.

"So, that means that they were either broken, or something broke off their signals. I'm guessing they got captured and their phones were broken in the process, or Donnie self-destructed them. And if I use that satellite," I point to a satellite dish across the street. "I can use it to track their last known location."

"You can do that?" Leo questions in surprise.

"I'm the daughter of two scientists. That's like saying Mikey can't eat pizza," I snort, "Donnie showed me how to do it once." I finally get something. "Ah, they're still in the futon factory on Fifth Avenue. They must've been seen. Let's go!"

* * *

We crash through the rooftop window of the factory, landing in front of Dogpound and Fong. "The turtles and the girl!"

"Not so fast, Dogpound!" Leo declares, but there's someone else there too. "And Dexter Spackman?"

"Baxter Stockman!" He shouts. What's he doing with Dogpound? Dogpound growls and runs towards us. Leo spins above him and runs. Raph runs up to the dog and kicks him. Leo stops Stockman from taking April's phone. "How did you escape my Mousers?"

"We didn't," Leo simply says as the Mousers jump in from the roof. Some of them land on Stockman and Dogpound. While they're distracted, Leo and I cut the B tea—I mean, Mikey and Donnie—free.

"We're here to save the day, as usual," Raph brags and I throw a snowball at him.

"Oh yeah, looks like you guys were doing great," Donnie retorts as Raph brushes the snow off his face.

"You try fighting off 2 thousand robots!" Raph points to the Mousers.

"Let's beat it!" The Purple Dragons escape, good riddance to them. The rest of us fight off the Mousers, Dopgound growling at us.

"Mikey!"

Mikey turns to Leo. "Keep away!" He throws the phone to Mikey, who jumps and catches it in his hand. Dogpound chases after him, Mikey jumping over the stairs. He screams as Dogpound doesn't relent in his chase.

While we're fighting the robots, one of the heads splits open and Donnie pulls out a camera from it. "Whoa! A gamma camera!"

"Now I remember. Don't those detect radioisotopes?" I call out as I turn around and slice a Mouser in half.

"Yeah, that must be what he's tagged you with."

"Oh," Raph retorts, stabbing a Mouser through the head with his weapon. "How do we get it off?!"

Donnie holds up his staff as a Mouser bites onto it. "You can't. It wears off gradually. But if someone else got sprayed, they'd give off a stronger signal." Mikey yelps as he jumps down from the stairs, the phone sliding to a stop. Dogpound is about to attack him, but Donnie jumps up and smacks him with his staff. "We gotta get Stockman's spray. It controls the Mousers."

"You mean that thing?" Mikey points to Stockman's bottle in his hand.

"I'll handle this, dog man," He holds it up, about to hit us with it again! "One spritz and they're Mouser chow."

Raph throws two shuriken at it, causing it to explode and spray the two villains. The Mousers stop attacking us and since the two were recently just sprayed, they go after them. Dogpound tries to defend himself against them, but several of them start chomping on his tail. He screams and the two run away. Stockman trips and Dogpound grabs him, April's phone ringing. I don't know who would be calling her, but she told me once about a friend from school I haven't had the chance to meet yet. Donnie throws a kunai at the phone, causing it to break into pieces.

Dogpound growls at him. "Hang it up, Dogpound. Your call just got dropped," Donnie says and I laugh, high-threeing him.

"Good one."

"Thanks," He winks, Raph and Leo glaring at him for some reason. Dogpound smashes through the wall, taking Stockman with him. He'll probably take him to Shredder...another villain we gotta watch out for...

We watch as the two run. "Nice job, guys," Leo congratulates.

"Yeah," Raph wraps his arms around them. "From here on out, you're the A minus team."

"That's probably the best we're gonna get out of him," Donnie comments and Raph starts rubbing Mikey's head.

"Ow! Hey!" Leo and Donnie wrap their arms around each other, following them. Leo takes my hand and I blush, feeling content.

* * *

Mikey plays some music from a stereo, tapping his foot against the floor. He bops his head to the beat before he starts dancing around. He does some impressive moves for a turtle. Raph is feeding Spike while Donnie and I are watching Leo play pinball.

"I hope you all see that by choosing your own battles poorly, you created your own crisis," Splinter says and I grin widely at them.

"Yeah, there's definitely some irony there," Donnie agrees.

"Okay, it got a little out of control, but we learned our lesson," Leo replies, "And at least we got April's phone back."

"You did?" April just happens to arrive. "Sweet!"

Donnie holds out the phone...which breaks into pieces. She looks up at us, confused by what could've happened.

"Uh, the important thing is it didn't end up in the wrong hands," Leo points out.

"Yeah, that's true," I murmur as April didn't look so grateful.

"Gee...thanks guys."

"Aw, don't worry, April. You can have one of my custom-built T-Phones," Donnie holds up a T-Phone. She takes it in excitement.

"Ooo, cool!"

Mikey pops up between April and Leo. "Just don't say T-Phone, self-destruct." Both hers AND mine break apart. "Or else that happens."

"Thanks a lot, Mikey..." I sigh slowly. Though, I do wonder what happened with Stockman. No doubt he's in the hands of Shredder...

I glance at Leo, who I can't believe almost could've killed Fong. And for what? It's not like Fong spit in his face or something. "Hey, what was that with Fong?" I ask him and his eyes widen.

"What do you mean?" April wonders, curious.

"Leo here started choking Fong after he started flirting with ice princess," Raph calls out as he feeds Spike another bite of the leaf.

"You did what?!" Aptil exclaims as Leo is backing away.

"U-Um, well...he keeps flirting with her even though she clearly dislikes it. Raph would do it too!" Leo stammers, pointing to Raph to try and get the attention off of him.

"Doesn't mean I'd go that far and almost kill a guy," Raph retorts back.

"Will you be okay?" I ask in concern as I'm not even worried he did that for me. I'm worried that the next time he sees Fong, he might do something risky and his brothers need him...

"Yeah...he just better keep his mouth shut," Leo growls slightly. This is so weird, I've never seen him like this...the other turtles and April glance at each other, as if they know something that I don't. Does it have to do with Leo? If so, what?


	12. It Came from the Depths

**Angel: Leo didn't kill anyone, if he did, they'd be much more harsh on him. He only choked a person slightly, Fong's still alive. And no, Amy only gets ice powers in this season. Other stuff came later on, so...sorry guys. If I add something that she doesn't have, like say her electricity powers in Rise of the TMNT, I'd have to change continuity to the other stories that tie into this remake and I don't wanna do that. And challis, caaaaalm down. I'm not even mad, really. If I was, I would've said something a long time ago. Also, sorry this is so late into the day, I lost track of time. I woke up around noon and then I had to eat and then I was writing episode 21. If I finish the season soon, then I'll update this once a day until it's done.**

The turtles and I are just hanging out in the lair. I'm practicing my powers, making snowflakes in my hands. They suddenly melt into my hand, making me sigh. I still don't have full control over them...sometimes I'll freeze the walls or I'll freeze one of the turtles' weapons while sparring. I don't know what it is, really. Donnie says it's because I still haven't adjusted to them yet and they need time to calm down. I really hope that's true, I need to get these under control. I could seriously hurt someone...like my friends or Splinter.

"Who wants to try my latest creation?" Mikey asks, hiding something behind his back. "We all love pizza, we all love milkshakes, so I combined them."

I swallow in my vomit at just the thought of it. "Okay, that could not be less appetizing," Donnie states and Mikey reveals a brown liquid from a blender...oh god.

"I call it a P-shake!"

Donnie covers his mouth, trying not to hurl. "I stand corrected." I learned the hard way that Mikey will try anything. And I mean anything. This P-shake is a perfect example of that. He won't care if it's gross or unhealthy, he'll do it anyway.

"Dudette, wanna try some?" Mikey waves it into my face and I cover my mouth, scooting closer to Leo.

"No thanks, I prefer something that's actually, you know...edible."

Leo pats my back and I look up at him. I'm so close, I could get a nosebleed...! I back away and rub my neck, laughing sheepishly. Leo looks awkward too.

"You guys just have no sense of adventure," Mikey shakes his head and actually drinks it. His eyes widen before he spits it out into the blender.

"Blech!"

"Ugh!"

"Ew!"

"Where did I go wrong?" There's a pause before he _drinks_ the whole thing, grossing us out even more. I cover my mouth and Donnie hands me a bucket. I throw up into it. Man, the fact that he drunk it and then spit it out made it worse...

"Freakin' gross," I deadpan to Mikey as I move the bucket away. Donnie goes to the kitchen to wash it out. Leo sticks out his tongue and turns to me.

"Are you okay?" He asks in concern and I see that he's holding my hair. Did he...did he move it back for me?

"I am now..." I murmur and he turns on the TV, checking me over. I dart my eyes around as he pushes a bang away from my face.

"You don't look sick anymore...but I'll have Donnie check later just in case."

"Ha...thank you..." I say nervously, moving my face away from him. I hear him chuckle nervously and I fan my red face.

"In all my travels, I've never seen anything as cute as these trumpets," Captain Ryan says as these pink fury aliens with blue trumpet mouths are in his arms. "But I'll be darned if they're not the most annoying species in the cosmos." There's actually a whole bunch in the ship, and they all make this loud honking sound.

"Captain, we've got to find a humane way to get rid of them!" Crankshaw turns to them.

"If there's one thing I'm known for, it's my humanity." I grin at his word play. He straps himself into his sea. "Open the airlock."

Crankshaw does so and the aliens are whisked away into space. Captain Ryan grins, Leo and I grinning just as widely at his strategy.

"You have to be the only person in the world who likes this show," Raph retorts to Leo.

"No way. There are millions of Spaceniks out there. Heck, we're living with one!" Leo pulls me closer and I gasp sharply, looking away as I'm blushing.

"Which is still unbelievable, by the way," Raph leans in forward towards my face and I dart my eyes around. What is he doing? "Are you sure you're not brainwashed? Blink twice if you're in danger."

"I am not brainwashed," I huff and he snatches the remote from Leo, switching to the news.

"I'm Joan Grody, with a sewer shocker. City workers attacked...by mutants?"

"Huh?" We all ask in confusion. Mutants are attacking humans? But why? We then see an interview by a victim.

"It was part man, part reptile, and all monster! It came out of nowhere and attacked me." We all look at Raph and he glances at us.

"Wasn't me," He denies and I snort.

"I dunno Raph, that describes you pretty well."

"Shut up!" He growls slightly at me and I smirk. He's only proving my point.

"Take a look at this terrifying footage." Turns out the victim had been recording himself in the sewers for some reason.

"So some people think the sewers are dark and scary, but actually, it's a lot of..." He stops, as someone is sniffing around behind him. It looks to be an alligator mutant judging by the jaws and shape. It suddenly attacks the man, knocking his camera as it captures a shot of the mutant. "Somebody help me!"

"Are malicious mutants menacing Manhattan? Find out next on Grody To the Max."

"I got a bad feeling about this," Donnie states uncertainly.

"The last thing we want is some mutant causing trouble in the sewers!" Leo stands up.

"Or some news crew down here looking for him," Raph adds, because if it comes to that, they might stumble upon the lair.

"So what do we do?" I look up at them.

"We've gotta track this guy down and stop him ourselves," Leo declares, narrowing his eyes.

"Wait," Donnie's holding the TV remote. "Let's rewind this. Think I saw a tunnel number." He rewinds it and stops to see the number above police tape. "There, tunnel 281."

"Let's go."

* * *

We stand in front of the tunnel and move past the police tape. We start inspecting the place and immediately get a clue as I trip. Yeah, really.

Raph laughs at me as I sit up and I give him a look. "Whoa, check this out," Leo feels the large footprint I tripped from. "What the heck made these footprints?"

"Well, just by looking at it, it's got pointed toes," I point at it. The footprints lead to a tunnel and as soon as we start to follow, we hear a roar echo. Then there's laser blasts, pink ones because we can see them a few away. I can briefly see the shadow of who's being attacked...or who is attacking?

We stumble upon an alligator mutant brutally attacking the Kraang. "Wha?"

"Whoa."

He swings his arm, knocking down some of the robots while one of them jumps onto his scaly back. He chomps one of their bodies, swinging him around. We duck out of the way as half the body lands against a wall. The brain crawls away in fear. Man, I've never seen Kraang afraid before, it's weird.

"I never thought I'd feel sorry for the Kraang," Donnie comments.

"Yeah well, I don't. They deserve this," I whisper. Okay, maybe I did feel bad...for about two seconds. One of them pulls out a taser and they start electrocuting him. He screams in pain, falling onto the ground.

"Tell Kraang in what place can be found the power cell that Kraang wishes to find the place of."

"Never!" The mutant refuses with a growl. They electrocute him again and I can't help but feel bad for him. He's being tortured for this...power cell, but he was just fighting back against them. I think I understand why he attacked that man, he wasn't angry, he was...scared.

"Come on, we gotta help him."

My eyes widen as I turn to Mikey who said the same thing as me. We both smile as we're on the same page. Mikey pulls on Raph's arm, but Raph stops him.

"I think 'gotta' is a strong word."

"Guys, we don't know anything about that guy," Leo explains cautiously. "He could be way more dangerous than the Kraang."

"That gator dude needs our help. We can't wait around for you cowards," Mikey points at them. I'm about to go to help him, but someone grabs my arm. I turn around to Leo.

"Amy, I forbid you to do this."

"You forbid me?!" I exclaim in disbelief. "You're not my father," I snatch my arm back. "He's getting hurt!" I can't believe him, why can't he see that this mutant isn't trying to harm anyone...besides the Kraang.

"Do you two know what you're getting into?" Donnie asks, but we do it anyway.

"Booyakasha!" Mikey throws his chain, capturing the zapper and piercing it through a Kraang's head. I throw my katana at a Kraang, trapping it against the wall.

"Well, I guess that settles it," Raph spins his sais. "Let's go whack some pinatas." The others charge into the fight, Mikey kicking down some Kraang. One inches towards him, but Raph throws his sai through the head. He snatches it and looks at Mikey before they go off to fight more. Donnie leaps into the air, spinning his staff as he smacks some Kraang with it. Leo slices some into pieces and two of them attempt to carry the mutant away. I look up as I had just defeated a Kraang and I point my hands at them, flash-freezing the two.

"So what do we do now?" Donnie questions.

"We get out of here before more Kraangdroids show up," Leo answers in a 'duh' tone. Mikey and I look to the mutant, as he's unconscious.

"We can't just leave him here. What if the Kraang find him?"

"Yeah, look at him. He was just attacked by them," I argue, looking up at them.

"Well, what do you two wanna do? Take him back to the lair?" Leo jerks a thumb behind him. Mikey and I give him puppy eyes. "Oh no. Oh, no," Leo immediately denies, gesturing to the Kraang. "Did-Did you see what he did to those Kraangdroids? We are _not_ bringing that monster home with us!"

"He's not a monster!" I scream, ice forming around us. Donnie and Leo back away nervously as I grit my teeth. This is kind of personal for me, because I'm afraid of people judging me due to my...powers. If I can't control them, what does that mean for me?

"Yeah! He's a giant, Kraang-crushing mutant alligator monster!" Mikey's eyes widen as he realizes what he said. "I said monster, didn't I?"

"Yup."

"Sure did."

"Uh huh."

"Well, you know what we meant," Mikey retorts as I rub the alligator mutant's snout.

"I thought you meant monster," Raph states.

"Me too."

"Yup."

"Fine. We'll bring him back ourselves," Mikey and I stand up, trying to pull his arm. He's actually heavier than he looks. We try pushing and pulling, but nothing. "Um, Donnie, you don't happen to have a forklift, do ya?" Leo and Donnie glance to each other. "No? Okay."

We try again and I hear a sigh of defeat. The others eventually help us as we all pull him slowly.

* * *

As the mutant is sleeping, Leo and Raph are looking at us. "I can't believe we let 'em talk us into this," Raph grumbles as he gestures to us. Mikey is hugging the mutant while I inspect him for injuries.

"Aww, look at him. He's so peaceful," Mikey drops a teddy bear into his arms.

"That's because he's out cold," Leo points out and I give him a look, raising an eyebrow. "I-I mean passed out. That pun wasn't intended."

"Smooth," Raph whispers to him.

"I just hope he's okay. He put up a nasty fight," I comment, getting a first-aid kit. Donnie comes in with chains.

"Whoa, what are those for?" Mikey asks defensively.

"We can't keep him here unless he's chained to something really big," Donnie explains and I stand up.

"Do you know how degrading that is? To be chained up because you're potentially dangerous?" I glare at them and I can already feel the floor freezing. "Why hurt us, we helped him!" Their eyes widen as they step away. I see their slightly scared expressions and calm myself down as the ice goes away. This is exactly what I didn't want for myself...

Mikey hugs the gator and his eye opens. "See? He's perfectly calm. I bet the first thing he's gonna do is thank-" The alligator mutant throws him off.

"Uh oh."

He rips the teddy bear in half. "Or maybe the second thing," Mikey cringes nervously. The gator looms over the other turtles and he suddenly grabs Donnie by the face, lifting him into the air.

"Get him off me! Get him off me!"

Mikey grabs the chain that Donnie was holding. "I'll help you, Donnie!" He throws it and latches it around Donnie's waist.

"Not like that, not like that!" Donnie cries out as we pull. He throws us all in different places. I land near the TV while Raph and Leo land near Donnie's lab. Mikey lands in the ceiling. "Help me!" Donnie whimpers and Raph jumps onto him. Leo zaps the gator with a taser, dropping Raph and Donnie.

"What is all this commotion?" We look up at Splinter, who's demanding for an explanation.

"Sensei, ice princess and Mikey made us bring a mutant back to the lair, and it attacked us!" Raph accuses, pointing to the two of us. Mikey and I pop up next to him.

"It needs our help!" Mikey argues.

"You can't get angry about this! He doesn't know where he is, he's not used to this!" I defend for him.

"It's a dangerous monster," Raph states clearly and I growl, clenching my fist. I am already sick and tired of their judgement...My hand starts to turn blue and Splinter places a hand on my shoulder. The process stops and I look up at him.

"Raphael. There is no monster more dangerous than a lack of compassion." The gator then growls. "My mistake."

"We're doing to him what everyone else does to us: judging him by their looks," Mikey says as Donnie gets free from the gator's graps.

"And by the fact that _he had me by the face, you guys!_ "

"Sensei, he was fighting the Kraang," I explain, "They were hurting him...they must think of him as some monster..."

"It's like you always say: the enemy of my enemy is my bro," Mikey recites and I raise a confused eyebrow. That's not how the saying goes...

"That is not exactly what I said," Splinter explains, also confused. "But what's this about the Kraang?"

"They were trying to force him to tell them where they could find some...power cell," Leo tells him.

"And he refused to tell?" Splinter guesses.

"Yeah. They were all like "zap zap zap" and he was all like rawr, never!" Mikey elaborates.

"Hmm. I see. You made a wise decision, Michelangelo and Amelia." All of us are confused. "Yes, I never thought I'd hear myself say that either. About Michelangelo, not Amelia." He touches a deep scar that the mutant must've gotten from the fight... "Hmm. His scars run deep, but they protect a genuine heart. When he awakens, Amelia and Michelangelo, you must find a way to befriend him."

"No problemo," Mikey gives him a thumbs up.

"Yes Sensei," I bow my head.

"We need to know what he knows about the Kraang," Splinter stands up. "In the meantime, you three try to find this power cell before the Kraang can."

"But we're still chaining him up, right?" Donnie asks skeptically.

"Of course. I am compassionate, not insane," Splinter points to his head.

"Master Splinter, no!" I protest, glaring at the others. "We can't do that!"

"It's only for precaution," Leo tries to assure me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"YOUR precaution!" I slap his hand off, storming to my room. I'm definitely not staying around to see them chain him up.

* * *

Later on, after the turtles have left to go find the power cell, the mutant regains consciousness once more. "Where am I?"

My eyes widen as he's actually talking for the first time since he was attacked. He growls while looking around, trying to pull his restraints off. He stands up and tries to get them off. Mikey walks up to him, holding a pot in his hands. His scar has a bandage over it, courtesy of me.

"Well, look who's awake."

He roars at us, causing us to back away a little. "You! Set me free!" He snaps his teeth.

"Oh, yeah, sorry about the chains. The guys said we had to keep you locked up or you might attack us," Mikey tells him.

"I personally didn't want to, but since they're too stupid to listen to a girl," I huff angrily. Mikey rubs my shoulder.

"Chill, dudette. At least he's safe."

"Who are you two? What am I doing here?" He takes in his surroundings.

"I'm Michelangelo," Mikey holds out his hand. "And this is Amelia." He snaps his teeth at Mikey's hand. "My brothers, friend, and I saved you from the Kraang?"

I notice that his eyes turn white. "KRAANG!" He starts struggling even more with the chains on his wrists. He starts clawing at the air, roaring loudly.

"Whoa, whoa!" Mikey exclaims and he settles back down, panting. He must be really angry about them to react like that...poor thing, they practically terrorized him...I...I understand how he feels. I'd be scared if people were out to get me for how I am...

"It's okay. You're safe. We brought you here so you could get better," Mikey assures him.

"Calm down. We're not gonna hurt you," I whisper as Mikey holds the ladle.

"Nothing will heal you faster than my world famous pizza noodle soup," He holds it out to the mutant.

"Oh _heck_ no," I stand up, placing my hands on my hips. "Mikey, you're not feeding him that. It won't heal him, it'll make him get worse!"

"Yes it will! You just don't believe it!" Mikey points the ladle at me dramatically. "You'll see!"

"Get that out of my face," I move the spoon away.

The gator tries it, growling as he licks his lips. Mikey is looking away like the mutant would have a terrible reaction. "This is the best thing...I have ever tasted."

"Really?" Mikey asks happily.

"Really?!" I ask in shock.

"Alright! _Somebody_ finally likes my cooking!" Mikey gives me a look and I roll my eyes. He sits down as he feeds the mutant his soup. I stick out my tongue, looking away from them.

"Ugh, that's disgusting..."

* * *

Mikey is taping up the teddy bear that the mutant ripped apart, who is holding the pot of soup. "So, what's your name, anyway?"

"I do not have one."

"Oh, you've gone and done it now," I murmur as Mikey looks shocked.

"You don't have a name? Ha! Well, today's your lucky day," Mikey stands up, "Cause I'm a genius at naming stuff." He looks the mutant in the eye. "Let's see..." He pokes the tail, looks at the teeth, and feels the top of his head. "Your head is kind of leathery. How about Headleather? Heather? No, wait! Leatherhead. Even better, Leatherhead."

Huh, that's actually one of the best ones ever so far.

"Leatherhead it is," Leatherhead agrees, "Thank you."

"No problemo," Mikey crosses his arms, "It's what I do."

"It's one of the few things he's good at," I shrug, smirking in amusement.

"Hey!" Mikey pouts at me. "I thought you liked me!"

"I'm only kidding," I giggle at his face.

"So I've been wanting to ask you, why did you go all crazy-eyes on my brother Donnie?" Mikey sits in front of him.

"Your brother?" Leatherhead asks curiously.

"Yeah. Instead of shaking his hand, you shook his face and most of his body," Mikey explains, shaking his hands.

"It wasn't pretty," I murmur and I can tell he's remembering his past actions.

"There are times when I lose control. When I awaken, I am horrified by what I have done. A monster like me deserves to be chained." He looks at the chains wrapped around his arms. I look down at my hand. His words...that's exactly how I've been feeling lately...I've already lost control at least three times today. That's more than usual...I can't help but agree with him. I could potentially be a danger zone to my friends...it's like a hole is swallowing me up and I can't escape. But...I also can't shut them out. They're my friends, I don't wanna hurt them emotionally OR physically. So either way I lose...I have no idea what to do...Who exactly am I?

"Or maybe you just think you're a monster because everyone treats you that way," Mikey speaks up and I gasp at his words, looking up as my thoughts suddenly whisk away. It's like he came in and took a part of me that I didn't even know was there. He...he's right...I'm going to talk to one of them when they get back...telling them all at once would be too much for me right now.

"Hmm. You are wise beyond your years," Leatherhead tells Mikey.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," Mikey replies and I look at him in confusion.

"From who?"

* * *

The guys arrive back from the pool and we step up to them. "Hey, guys. Leatherhead is totally off the chain," Mikey remarks and they look at us wide-eyed.

"You mean you set him free?!"

"What? No!" I tell them. "Off the chain is that he's cool." They sigh in relief and I smile widely. "And that's why we set them free, but you already got mad, so you got your revenge!" I say rapidly and they gasp in horror to see Leatherhead standing there, smiling.

"...Dangit!" Raph realizes what I said as Mikey is waving to Leatherhead. Oh thank god, that actually worked.

"You let that maniac loose?" Donnie asks in disbelief. "Maybe you two forgot that he grabbed me by the face. So I'll remind you. He grabbed me, _by the face_!"

"Relax, you've been hurt worse since," Raph waves it off.

"We didn't forget," I sigh wearily at Donnie. "We just think that he can change. He can control his anger."

"Guys, you shouldn't have unchained him. What if he goes berserk?!" Leo scolds us.

"He's not gonna go berserk," Mikey and I walk up to Leatherhead. "He's totally mellow," He rubs the snout to show them. Donnie looks freaked out while Raph looks unconvinced.

"Yeah, trust us. He can handle it," I scoff carelessly.

"Okay," Leo says slowly, walking up to the gator mutant. "So, Leatherhead...about the Kraang."

Our eyes widen as Leatherhead drops the pot. I was not expecting that. "KRAANG!" Leatherhead shouts loudly and Leo runs away from a claw.

"Dude!" Mikey jumps to him. "Chill!" He strokes the snout. "Chill!"

"There's no Kraang anywhere," I murmur, rubbing his back.

"What were you thinking?" Mikey looks down at Leo.

"Are you crazy?!" I whisper/hiss to Leo.

"Me?! You said he was mellow!" Leo argues.

"We didn't know you were gonna ask him about the you-know-who," Mikey retorts back.

"Okay, what should I do?" Leo asks us.

"I don't know, start with something not related to that and ask him something nice, like, how was your day?" I place my hands on my hips. Raph and Donnie are silently chuckling that Leo's getting told by me.

"Fine!" Leo agrees, a little embarrassed. He takes a deep breath. "Um," He glances away, "Leatherhead, how was your day?"

"It started out awful," Leatherhead answers.

"Yeah, you were attacked by the Kraang," Mikey reminds and he gets angry again.

"KRAANG!"

"My bad," Mikey says sheepishly as Leo and I glare at him. I step up to Leatherhead.

"No...!" Leo calls out and I take his snout, bringing it down so I'm at eye level with him.

"Leatherhead, Leatherhead. Look at me. Look at me. Calm down, breathe..." I tell him sternly and he starts to do so, his eyes turning back to normal. I stroke his snout calmly. "You're in a safe place now, right?" he nods slowly.

"Yes...I am."

"And you know that we're not gonna hurt you, right?" I glare at Raph, Leo, and Donnie. Leo and Donnie back away nervously as Raph holds up his hands in defense.

"Yes..."

"Okay. Now listen to me, please. They just want to ask you some simple questions. Can you do that for me?" I ask gently.

"Yes..." He inhales deeply.

"Okay," I turn around to the others, who are staring at me weirdly. It's like they don't know me. "What?"

"N-Nothing," Leo stammers, blinking. He and Raph look at Donnie, who looks at them nervously.

"Okay," Donnie takes out something from his bag. "W-W-We just wanna know what...this is." He shows Leatherhead what I'm assuming is the power cell they were sent to find.

As soon as Leatherhead sees it, he growls and he grabs Donnie by the face. "Thief!"

"Oh, come on!" The gator roars, Raph and Leo taking out their weapons. "This is not my day!"

Raph and Leo charge at him, but Leatherhead uses Donnie to knock them into the living room. The power cell rolls near them and Raph throws Donnie off of him. He kicks the power cell away to the arcade game. Leatherhead growls and Raph jumps onto his back. He slams Leatherhead down using his snout, grabbing the power cell. Leatherhead rolls over to him, making him drop the power cell. Donnie and Leo run up to them as Leatherhead is spinning around. They grab him and he uses his tail to knock Leo off. Donnie screams as Leatherhead snaps his teeth at him.

"Leatherhead, relax! It's okay!" Mikey shouts at him, holding the power cell. He roars at us and I stand near Mikey.

"Leatherhead, calm down. Remember what I taught you-" He raises his claw and scratches me across the cheek, knocking me down.

"Amy!" I hear Mikey yell and Leatherhead snatches the power cell away. "No, put that down!" He throws Mikey to the turnstiles and I sit up, holding my cheek.

"Stop!" I hear and we turn around to see Splinter. "Get away from my children!"

Leatherhead roars fiercely at him. Splinter just stands there as Leatherhead charges at him. He jumps into the air, preparing to tackle the rat, but he simply moves out of the way. Leatherhead tries using his tail, but Splinter turns around and throws him away. Wow, that was pretty impressive. Splinter looks at his opponent in the eye as Leatherhead swipes his claws back and forth. Splinter ducks from every attempt. He knocks the gator to the ground and grabs his arm. He grabs the claw and pulls it back before throwing Leatherhead to the ground again. The alligator mutant snaps his teeth at him, but Splinter pulls back his claw again and throws him to the entrance.

"Leave this place. Out!" Splinter demands and Leatherhead growls, snatching the power cell and walking past the turtles. "Boys," He runs up to them. "Are you alright?"

"Psst!"

I turn to see Mikey and he gestures to the entrance. I sneak out with him so we can talk to Leatherhead, and find out what exactly happened.

* * *

"Leatherhead!" Mikey screams as we follow the footprints.

"Leatherhead!" I call out as we run down the subway tracks. We look around, not recognizing this art of the tracks. There's a big subway car in front of us.

As we step inside, I hear some music and the place is lighted with candles. "Dude! Leatherhead! What's the big idea, man?" Mikey demands as Leatherhead turns to us.

"You should not be here," Is all he says.

"We trusted you. Then you freak out and attack my entire family! You scratched up my dudette!" Mikey hugs me and I look down at a medium-sized scar that's still bleeding a little. "I thought we were friends."

"Leatherhead, I still want to help you, but this," I gesture to my cheek. "This needs to be solved now."

"I warned you that there is a dangerous force inside me that I cannot control. And that is why I must be alone." Alone? I can't imagine being alone...it would be to protect my friends, but I was already alone before I came here to New York...I don't wanna go back to that like he wants to.

"Leatherhead," We turn around to see the other turtles surrounding us, weapons out. "Get away from Mikey and ice princess, or we'll turn you into the world's ugliest suitcase."

"Please! I mean them no harm," Leatherhead starts off.

"No harm?" Leo grits his teeth, pointing to my cheek. "Does that look like you don't wanna harm them?"

"...No," Leatherhead looks down. They're about to attack him, but I jump and land in front of Leatherhead, quickly pulling out my bow and arrow.

"Get back!" I scream and they stop in their tracks.

"This is no time for your games, Amy. Stay out of our way," Leo narrows his eyes at me.

"No! He doesn't mean to be bad. Just give him a chance," I tell them.

"Look at what he did!" Raph shouts, pointing to my cheek.

"So what? That doesn't mean he can't be helped. I think if you just listen to him, you'll see that he doesn't want to hurt anyone."

"Amelia, do not fight this for me. I am a monster," Leatherhead sags and I look up at him.

"No you're not. You're our friend. Your past actions shouldn't affect your present. It doesn't make you a monster."

I look back at the three turtles, threatening to fire my arrow. "Listen or I will shoot. Why can't you just understand that he doesn't want to be feared? He's just like you. People think he's scary and guess what? It's the same with you guys. One injury is not gonna change that. He's actually very friendly and kind. His anger isn't just something he can escape from that easily. He feels trapped...trapped because he wants to control it, but he's afraid that he'll be a danger to himself and others. He'll be all alone and more people will judge him. Please don't do this to him..." I feel like I'm about to cry and they stare at me, glancing to each other. I'm trying not to let them know that what I just said is how I feel...

Leo stares at me intensely, looking into my eyes. It was like he was looking into my soul for...something. Exactly what, I'm not sure. "Okay...we'll give him a chance," He eventually admits. I sigh in relief, putting my weapon away.

"...Amelia, thank you," Leatherhead smiles at me. "It was the Kraang that made me this way. I was raised by a kind human boy, until his parents discovered me and dumped me into the sewer. The Kraang found me and took me to their dimension. They mutated me and subjected me to horrible experiments. But they could not break my spirit. Six months ago, I escaped through the portal that they used to travel to Earth, and I stole this." He shows the power cell in his hand. So that's why he had it.

"What did they use it for?" Donnie wonders as we look at it.

"It powers the portal. Without it, no Kraang can enter or leave this dimension. I swore to keep it from them and spare this world from their evil, even at the cost at my own life." I smile at his dedication to protect the world. I think that's something all of us can agree on.

Suddenly we hear whirring noises, turning to the door. There's a slam and Leatherhead roars, shielding the power cell. Clearly someone's outside.

"Give to Kraang the power cell that Kraang has come to demand that you give to Kraang."

"It's the Kraang!" Mikey exclaims in panic and I facepalm.

"Quick, barricade the doors!" Leo calls out as I hear the laser blasts. They start to come in, pushing past Raph and Mikey. Leo and Donnie tackle two of them while one tries to get the power cell from Leatherhead.

I grab my sword, but Leo slices the arm in half. He spins, kicking it away. I freeze the arm of one and it breaks off into pieces. Raph slams the door shut as they try to barge their way in. Then we hear nothing, which is suspicious. We look around, as they wouldn't simply back down. Mikey sighs in relief...until a chainsaw appears right between Raph and Mikey. More chainsaws appear and we realize that they're gonna cut their way in here. Donnie looks behind him as an arm crawls up his leg and eventually gets to his face. He tries to pull it off and the same thing happens to Leo. Leatherhead knocks off a head and it lands in Mikey's hands.

"Kraang."

He lets out a scream and the body walks up to him. One Kraang wraps its arm around my leg and I try to kick it off. Mikey tries to prevent more of them from coming in. Leo throws down the arm off his face, but more grab him from behind, trying to pull him outside.

"We're surrounded," Raph calls out.

"We'll never hold them off," Mikey states, looking behind him.

"We gotta get out of here. Donnie, can you get this subway car running?" Leo looks at him.

"This track is dead. There's no electricity," He explains as he's pushing his staff against the door.

"You have the power cell. If it can run a portal, then I'm sure it can run a subway car," I suggest.

"I might be able to hook it up to the motor, but I need time," He answers.

"I will buy you time," Leatherhead steps up to Mikey and I. "My friends, you have trusted me. Now I am trusting you." He hands us the power cell. "I will deal with the Kraang." He opens the door and steps out of the car, roaring at them. He handles them pretty well as Donnie opens up the panel for the engine. He looks inside and I can hear Leatherhead smacking some away.

"Donnie, we're running out of time," Leo says as he tries to closes the door.

"I'm working as fast as I can!" Donnie shouts back. I hear another roar and I hold out my hands, freezing the door that Leo's holding shut.

"Donnie!" Raph calls out as the Kraang break the door open and Raph pushes it shut. "Will you hurry up?"

"I got it!" Donnie inserts the power cell inside and it lights up. The subway car zooms us out of there, causing us to scream at its speed. There's a vortex in front of us and we all see an eye, screaming our heads off. Donnie pulls the lever so that we jerk to a stop to somewhere, I'm assuming within New York. We open the doors and look outside.

"Where the heck are we?"

"According to my calculations," Donnie sniffs the air. "Sewage plant?"

"Wow. It's as beautiful as they say," Mikey comments at the area, but it is nothing close to that.

"Welp," I let out a sigh. "Let's go back to the lair. I'm tired..." I catch a glimpse of the turtles glancing to each other. I wonder what's on their minds.

* * *

I'm sitting in front of Leo in the dojo, as I had told him that I needed to escape my thoughts. He suggested meditation could help me, so I'm willing to try and see if it'll work. I'm not really sure what to expect...

"So, Amy," Leo takes a deep breath. "I think I have a right to know why you need to meditate since you asked me for my help." As much as I don't want this to come out, he has a point...I bite my lip nervously and I think he senses my hesitation. He holds out his hand as an attempt to calm me. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone if you really don't want people to know. I promise It'll be just between us."

I sigh in relief, but that obviously doesn't make me feel any better. "...I'm not sure if my powers are a blessing or a curse. I'm so scared that I'm gonna hurt someone...and drive them away. Don't think I didn't see your reactions from earlier. You looked like you didn't know me...like I was someone else. And I just don't want that. Leatherhead...he's not really a bad person. He just wants to do good...like me..."

I rub my eyes with my sleeve as Leo's staring at me. His eyes are soft, like...like he understands. "...I see. I'm sorry we made you feel that way. I, we, didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"It's okay...thanks for listening."

"Of course," He smiles at me slightly, holding my hand. "Amy...there's no way we'd leave you to deal with this yourself. That's not who we are. This burden you're holding...I feel that way sometimes with my leadership status. I understand why you didn't want to say anything. I honestly believe that with a little practice, you can control your powers and get stronger."

I smile at him softly for his comforting words. "So...that's the first step to meditation?"

"Yes. Brush away all those worries and fears. You need serenity. A calm and peaceful environment. Close your eyes and tell me what you see."

I do so and I see myself in a dark environment, surrounded by nothing. "I see...well, me. I'm alone."

"Okay. What else?"

 _The turtles suddenly appear and I try to run up to them, but I'm blocked by an invisible barrier._ "You guys are there, but I can't reach you."

"Hmm. Go on."

 _I try to break it, but the darkness suddenly surrounds me, trying to swallow me in. "Guys? Guys, help me!" I reach out a hand, but ice shoots out from it, hitting them all in the forehead. "No, nooooo!"_

"There's darkness...it's swallowing me in and then my powers react. I hit you all in the head and now you're not moving. And then...it gets me."

"Keep your eyes closed. Now what do you see?"

Nothing happens and I see...the stars, comets, and nebulas...it's like I'm looking into a different world than what I just described. "I'm floating into the stars...and nothing bad is happening this time..."

"Open your eyes."

I open my eyes to see Leo staring at me intensely. "When you meditate, all of your fears go away first. Then you can reach an ultimate peace within you. Do you see what I mean?"

I nod slowly and he grins. "Great." He places his hand on my shoulder. "Amy...the next time you feel this way...please tell me. Your powers are something to be proud of. Personally...I think they're cool and...I know why you wanted to protect Leatherhead...it's because you were feeling the same way as him, weren't you?"

"...Yeah," I admit quietly as I recall how scared I was feeling when Mikey and I were talking to him.

"I know you're scared, but...I'll do anything I can to help you...because..." He pauses, brushing away my bangs. His lips are suddenly close to mine.

"Because what?" I ask curiously, too quiet I'm not even sure he heard me. Oh my god, is he about to kiss me?

"...Nevermind. It's nothing," He smiles weakly, pulling away. "I'm just...glad I could help you today."

"...Sure," I murmur, standing up and getting out of there before something else could happen. I touch my pounding heart as I have goosebumps to how close he was...how he wanted to say something else...I...I think it's happening.

I really do have feelings for him...


	13. I, Monster

It's another training session, but this time it's different. Today is my first time that I'll be going against Splinter, and the turtles are helping me out. They've done this before, but for me, I haven't. I've done a few team exercises with them, but nothing like this.

"Okay, here's the plan," Leo whispers as we're kneeling on the floor. "Donnie, you're gonna strike first."

"No, wait. You want me to come at Splinter?" Donnie asks in disbelief. "I'll get pummeled!"

"Well, getting pummeled is your specialty," Raph remarks, Donnie glaring at him.

"Trust me. It's all part of my plan to catch Splinter off-guard."

"Uh, Leo, don't take this the wrong way, but against Splinter, your plans always get our butts whipped," Mikey speaks up.

"Okay, new thought. Mikey, you attack," Leo tells him. Mikey glances at Donnie.

"He took it the wrong way. Why not just have Amy attack him first?!"

"No way!" I wave my hands in denial. "I'm not coming at him first just because it's my first time!"

"Agreed," Leo states and Raph grunts impatiently.

"Enough talk! Let's do this." He glances at Leo, who nods. We then look at Splinter, whose back is turned to us, waiting for something: us. We separate from our huddle as we surround him. It's all silence until Splinter takes a stance, signaling that he's ready for whatever we have prepared. We narrow our eyes as Mikey attacks first like promised. Splinter looks around as he grabs Mikey's leg and throws him down. He kicks Mikey away as Raph is jumping in the air towards him, Leo, Donnie, and I running at him. He spins around, dodging. Raph and moving away from Donnie's kick. Leo and I try to attack next, but he moves past us like it was nothing. He grabs Donnie's leg, stopping him from kicking. He sweeps his leg, knocking Donnie off his feet. He spins and kicks a spinning Donnie into Raph. Leo and I flip away from a punch...and end up hitting him in the face!

"Ah! Sensei, we're sorry!"

"Yeah, we..." Splinter grabs our arms and knocks us to the ground.

"Oh man, Leo and Amy are goners!"

"Oh nodie dodie."

Splinter doesn't do anything but stand up. "Well done, Amelia and Leonardo. But, just when you had the advantage, you hesitated, and that made you both vulnerable."

"Hai, Sensei," We answer in pain as Leo helps me up to my feet. His sudden strong force makes me stumble a little and Leo places his hands on my hips to steady my movement. I look up at him, as my hands are on his shoulders on instinct. I blush and I see his face getting red too as he lets go of me.

"Now, that is all for today," He starts to walk to his room, but he turns his head. "Unless you care for a rematch."

"No thanks."

"I'm good."

"Yeah, I think we're all set here."

And with that, Splinter walks into his room and shuts the doors closed. "Leo! Amy!" Mikey grins as they run up to us. Leo looks away from my eyes as we were still looking at each other. I frown to myself at the interrupted moment.

"Not bad," Raph comments, arms crossed.

"Guys, I can't believe you two actually tagged Sensei. That was epic," Donnie says in awe. Mikey grabs our hands.

"The hands that punched Splinter. You know you can never wash these again."

"Ew," I say in disgust and they all laugh.

"I gotta say, guys, it was all teamwork. We are definitely getting better," Leo smiles down at me. "And you're controlling your powers better according to Sensei."

I smile, looking down at my hand. He has a point...I've been getting better at controlling them. I found out that they react to my emotions, and Splinter's giving me breathing exercises in case I do go out of control. I'm still worried about hurting them, but...not as much as before. Of course my doubt is still there, but...having their support makes it better sometimes. I didn't tell the others, but they're ninjas, of course they were gonna figure it out. They didn't tell me that they knew, but their recent actions indicate that they do. Mikey's been lenient on playing pranks on me, Raph's acting a little more nicer, and Donnie's been asking me to have a late-night talk with him when he's in his lab. And Leo...Leo's been the most supportive...when I'm hesitant about using my powers, he assures me that...that I can do it. I can make something of myself.

"Think we might be catching up to Splinter?" Donnie wonders.

"Yeah, maybe soon, we won't need him to train us at all," Mikey says and I glance at the doors to his room in slight worry. He wasn't exactly quiet...I hope Splinter's not worried that he won't be able to train his sons anymore. We still need him around for advice...and to help me...

* * *

After training was over, I decided to unwind by reading a Space Heroes comic book, listening to music at the same time. I smile softly as one of my favorite songs, How am I supposed to live without you by Michael Bolton, is playing. It describes exactly how I feel with Leo...maybe that's why I like it so much, because I relate to it a lot.

I suddenly hear a scream coming from the dojo, and the only person in there is Splinter! I run down the hall from my room as Donnie peeks out from his lab.

"Sensei!" I hear as I come in from the other entrance. "Are you okay?"

"What happened?" I ask as I bend down to Splinter.

"I don't know," Leo answers me as Splinter is holding his head.

"I am fine," He tells us, but he doesn't look fine to me. It looks like something just happened to him, but then it stopped? I wonder what could've occurred...

"You sure you're alright? You don't seem-"

We suddenly hear birds coming from Donnie. "Hey, that's April's ringtone!" Raph and Mikey make kissy noises and Donnie pushes them away. He pulls out his T-Phone and answers the phone. "Hey, April," He says enthusiastically. "I mean, hey April," He tries to sound smooth. "I mean-"

"Donnie, stop talking. I need some help. I'm having a little bit of a pest problem."

I glance at the others before I pull out my own T-Phone, pulling up the news. And sure enough, there's a news report stating that rats are invading New York.

* * *

It's daytime as we jump across the rooftops. Others are either running away or are inside, so there's no risk of them seeing the turtles. They're too focused on the rats on the street to look up at the buildings, anyway. We jump past a water tower as we dash across the structures.

"Oh, wow, the city is so beautiful in the daytime. Except for the, you know, billions of rats."

"Yeah, if you can get past all the smog," I murmur as the sun's not even out. I do wonder what brought on this attack, though...why would all of these rats suddenly storm New York? It's so weird...but then again, I've seen worse.

"Actually, the entire rat population of New York is only about 36 million, which-" Raph lands next to Mikey.

"I will smack you out of your shell!" He threatens Donnie.

"Uh, guys, we may have a problem," Leo calls out from up front. I slide to a stop as I see hundreds of rats crawling on the street. I can see April holding onto a pole, looking down at them. She must've been out and then stumbled upon them.

"Aw rats!" Mikey exclaims and I facepalm. "Ha ha, get it?"

"For the 14th time, yes!" Raph shouts, a vein appearing on his head.

"Mikey, no more rat puns, please," I sigh wearily.

"We're coming, April! Don't go anywhere!" Donnie calls out to her.

"Where could I possibly go?" She retorts and I give Donnie a look. He smiles sheepishly and I take out my grappling hook, throwing it and capturing a plank. I stand on the edge and swan dive, landing against the pole. The others follow, knocking down some rats in the process. We start climbing and rats start crawling all over Raph.

"These stupid rats are starting to get on my nerves," He smacks one off him.

"Rats are stupid," Donnie speaks up, "Despite their small brain size, they're remarkably-Ow!" Raph had thrown a rat at his head.

"I warned ya."

"Raph, put down the rat and keep climbing," Leo orders as he's the highest up. We continue climbing the pole.

"Hurry!" April urges us and as we're climbing, I feel the pole shaking. It tilts to the left and I can see that the rats are chewing on the support. April screams as she falls, but Donnie jumps and catches, landing back in his spot.

"Gotcha! As long as Donnie's here, you have nothing to-" There's a creak and we look down. "Oh boy." The pole falls further and we turn around, hanging onto the pole as it's close to breaking off.

"Okay, I appreciate you guys coming to help, but how is this better than getting eaten by rats?" April calls out.

"At least it'll be quick. With rats they chew and chew and chew and chew and chew-"

"Okay, we get it," April interrupts Mikey. Donnie's looking down at a dumpster that's filled with rats and the pole moves a little more.

"Let's move." We turn around so that we're standing up, trying to move to the left as quick as possible. The pole starts to snap as one of the wires breaks. We all gasp as we don't have much time. "Hurry!" We run, but that makes it worse as it completely snaps off and we're thrown into the air, landing on the roof.

We look over the edge and Leo points at them dramatically. "Chew on that, rat finks!" He looks at us as everyone except me is staring at him. "Oh come on, that sounded cool."

I giggle, covering my mouth and Leo grins happily at me. "What is wrong with you?" Raph asks me and I slap him in the arm.

"Does anyone know what the heck is going on?" April demands.

"I'm not sure," Donnie puts his hand to his chin. "But whatever it is, this attack is extremely well coordinated. Obviously, there is a higher intelligence at work here."

"Well, that rules out Mikey," Raph remarks, who glares at him.

"That's not funny," I huff, crossing my arms as I look up at the sky in thought. "I think we're dealing with a mutant here, guys."

"Huh?" Everyone asks in confusion.

"How can you tell?" Donnie turns to me.

"Think about it. I don't think any human has the capacity or willpower to do all this. A mutant, however, would. And even if it was a human, why rats? Why these specific animals?" They're all staring at me in disbelief and I scoff. "As hard as it is to believe...I think we're looking for a mutant. Someone, or something, is somehow controlling every single rat in the city."

"Wait a sec. _Every_ rat?" Raph questions.

"That means that Splinter could be..."

* * *

When we arrive in the lair, Splinter looks to be asleep. He's lying down near the pool on one of the mats. "Is he okay?" April asks curiously. It's hard to tell if he's normal...well, normal as he could be.

"Donnie, you're the smart one. What do we do?" Raph glances at Donnie.

"M-Maybe we should poke him?" Donnie asks uncertainly and I stifle a laugh at his simple answer.

"Good idea," Leo nods at Donnie before looking at the youngest turtle. "Mikey, poke him."

"No way, I'm not poking him, you poke him!" Mikey points at us.

"Okay," Leo rolls his eyes, "We'll put it to a vote."

"Mikey," The three turtles say in unison. Mikey bends down to me, hugging my knees.

"Dudette, you gotta help me! I don't wanna!" He begs, about to cry and I chuckle nervously.

"Mikey, I'm not doing it for you. And the vote's already been set in stone, I can't vote for myself..."

He looks up at me with puppy eyes and I give him a deadpan look. "No."

"I want a recount!" Mikey protests as Leo pulls him off me. Donnie hands him his staff and he sighs slowly. "Fine." His hands are shaking as he slowly points the staff at Splinter.

"Easy," Donnie says as we're all cringing. "Easy." Mikey brings it a little closer. "Careful not to squeeze the-" The blade comes out from his staff, almost hitting Splinter. We all scream in fright, backing away from him as Mikey drops the staff. Donnie picks it up. "Okay, let's try it from the other end." Mikey shakes his head, but Donnie pushes him forward anyway. Mikey pokes him in the stomach, immediately backing away, but Splinter doesn't move an inch. He pokes the stomach again, then the hips.

"Whoa. He is totally out of it." He pokes Splinter's nose. "Dudes, check out the nose nuggets." Donnie and I facepalm.

"Mikey, stop, that's gross," I scold him.

Mikey then starts making his mouth move. "Michelangelo is awesome." I sigh, pinching my nose. "He is the smartest, handsomest, butt-kicking-est of all my-" Splinter opens his eyes and throws Mikey to the stairs. "Sons," He finishes weakly.

"Sensei, are you okay?" Leo asks in concern.

"No, Leonardo," Splinter hands Donnie his staff. "I am not. It would appear that your former adversary, Dr. Falco...has returned."

I gasp in shock, glancing at the others. Falco? The one who mutated Rockwell and tried to destroy us with his temporary psychic powers? That Falco? I thought he disappeared for good, but...he must want his revenge.

"Falco's behind this?" Donnie questions in surprise. "How is that possible?"

April escorts Splinter to the dojo and we follow them. "Somehow, he has acquired a telepathic connection with every rat in New York. And now he calls himself the Rat King."

"Aw great!" Mikey shouts in protest, "So now we're letting the bad guys name themselves? We gotta take him down!"

"For the right reasons," I glance at him.

"Yes, Michelangelo, you do," Splinter agrees with the turtle. "The Rat King will not rest until he has total control of this city...and my mind." He walks up to his mantle, the one where he has a picture of his past self.

"Sensei?" Leo murmurs as the rat touches the picture.

"Everything I knew is gone. My wife, my daughter, my clan...even my humanity," He clenches a fist. I can't help but feel bad for him. Because of Shredder, his former ally, he was stuck this way... "You five are all I have left."

I smile weakly at him. I'm not really his daughter, but it's touching to know that he thinks of me as one. "Don't you worry, Sensei. We'll stop him," Raph punches his hands together. He's right, we have to stop him before the Rat King tries to take control of him.

"But we gotta find him first," Donnie holds up a finger.

"When the Rat King attempted to take control of me," Splinter places a hand on the shelf. "I could see into his mind. You will find his lair in an abandoned utility junction beneath Herald Square."

"Let's go play exterminator," Raph declares, grinning at the thought of taking down Falco. Splinter screams as he holds his head, kneeling on the ground. April and Leo tend to his aid.

"Fight him, Sensei," Leo encourages him.

"I will. Just hurry."

"You can do this, Master Splinter," I place a hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Amelia. Your kindness holds no bounds..."

"It's okay, you guys," April leads Splinter away. "You go after the Rat King. I'll stay with Sensei." I stand there with Leo, pondering his last words to me. Leo picks up the picture and I look at it. He must be trying to fight it because he doesn't have anything human about him anymore. He could be feeling lost...

* * *

"What's gonna happen to Splinter if we can't stop the Rat King?" Mikey asks as we're walking through the sewers. "Which, by the way, lamest villain name ever."

"Let it go already," Donnie turns to him in annoyance.

"Seriously, you've been complaining about this ever since we left," I cross my arms. Not that I love the name, but he's taking this way too personally.

"We're gonna stop the Rat King, and Splinter's gonna be fine," Raph tell us, turning to Leo and I. "Right Leo and ice princess?" We don't answer, as I don't wanna think about that possibility. We hear squeaking and look down to see a rat moving past our feet.

"Shh, quiet," Donnie whispers as we look down the sewers. "Do you guys hear that?"

A whole army of rats run right in our direction. "You gotta be kidding," Raph deadpans.

"Aw, ra-" Raph covers Mikey's mouth to keep him from saying it.

"Uh, Leo, any ideas?" Donnie asks nervously as we back up.

"Just one. Move!" We start running down the tunnel. We see a couple of pipes above and Leo stands a few feet in front of me, cupping his hands. I step on them and he throws me up into the air. I grip onto a pipe and Leo lands in front of me, Donnie and Raph in front of him. Mikey runs further and jumps, holding onto a pipe, but some rats are on him. He shakes them off, swinging his legs into the air so he's clutching onto the pipe. A rat bites his head.

"Ow! Oh, no. They've got the taste for turtle now!" I roll my eyes at him.

"Come on! Just keep moving!" Leo urges and I go first, jumping left and right so that I'm in front of all of them. I take the lead as the others follow, looking down at all the rats down there. I just hope that Splinter's okay and that he can resist the Rat King's powers.

"I'm just saying, I can think of a million better names than the Rat King. There's Ratzilla," Leo and I stop to look at him. "The Verminator, Lord Rattington-"

"Can it, Mikey. We're almost there. The utility chamber should be on the other side of that wall," Leo interrupts as I shake my head. I turn to the wall and my eyes widen.

"Uh, you mean that disgusting, furry, squirming wall?" Raph questions as the whole area is covered with rats. We can't even get through the wall, that's how many there are.

"How are we supposed to get past that?" Donnie asks and Leo looks down to see some barrels.

"Raph, those barrels. Ventilate 'em."

"You got it," Raph throws his shuriken, hitting the barrels and making the oil inside spill.

"Uh, Leo, you do realize those chemicals are highly combustible," Donnie reminds him.

"You don't say," Leo smirks and turns to me. "Amy, freeze that pipe next to you."

"Oh, I see what you're doing," I touch the pipe and it immediately freezes, breaking in half. The end of it falls to the barrels, causing an explosion that scares the rats away and opens up the wall.

"Let's move."

We walk inside the Rat King's lair, which is dark. I stop the turtles as I see a figure standing on a pipe above us. It's Falco, alright, but it doesn't look like him. The skin looks all rotten, and he barely has any teeth. He's wearing this black cloak that covers his entire body, as well as a hat that's covering his eyes. "Ah, my turtle and female friends, we meet again." He doesn't even sound like himself anymore.

"Except last time, Falco, you weren't wearing a sad Halloween costume," Raph retorts and we all laugh.

"I am the Rat King!" He declares.

"Lame," Mikey coughs slightly and I elbow him in the arm.

"Not now," I whisper at him.

"Sorry, we don't have any treats for you. But we've got a few tricks," Leo says, and I grin widely at his wordplay. Donnie's phone suddenly goes off.

"Way to ruin the moment, Donnie," Raph remarks. He couldn't put his phone on vibrate? He looks a little embarrassed as he steps away to answer it.

"Uh, April, now's not really the best time," Donnie whispers as his brothers are giving him a look.

"Donnie, it's Splinter. He's gone!"

"What do you mean, gone? Gone where?"

"Here."

Our eyes widen as Splinter reveals himself out of nowhere. His eyes are full-on red and our eyes turn white in shock. Oh no, Rat King must have managed to get control over him! "What's wrong with him?" Leo asks as he isn't moving.

"It's like his brain is completely turned off," Donnie comments.

"You mean like Mikey?" Raph and Mikey ask in unison.

"Dude, you are so predictable," Mikey says to Raph.

"Sensei, snap out of it," Leo calls out.

"You waste your words," Splinter says as the rats are crawling onto him. "This is where I belong, with my brothers."

"No!" I murmur in horror, covering my mouth.

"He is mine now. Imagine my delight when I realized that controlling your master would not only make me invincible, but would also be the key to your demise," The Rat King laughs evilly and I growl up at him, throwing an ice dagger right in his direction. He jumps out of the way like it was nothing. "Splinter, destroy them."

Splinter walks up to us, with no signs of stopping. "Sensei, don't!" Leo warns him and he actually stops, eyes widening. The Rat King takes off his hat, his eyes glowing red as he resembles a corpse. Splinter continues with his order.

"Are we really gonna do this?" Donnie whispers, hesitantly pulling out his weapon.

"Remember, we did beat him once," Raph takes out his sais and spins them. "Kind of."

"Yeah, and we can beat him again," Leo states, "We can do this, guys. Do not hesitate, and that includes your powers, Amy," He gives me a look. I slowly pull out my sword as the rats crawl off of him. He takes out a blade of his own and Leo pulls out his swords. We all look at him in the eye. "Take. Sensei. Down."

One by one, we all charge, all of us jumping into the air, but our weapons land on the floor, Splinter nowhere to be seen. We look behind us as he knocks out Mikey first, then Raph, then Leo, and then Donnie is about to crash into him. Leo rolls out of the way as Donnie's head is smushed into his neck from the blow. I crash near Leo and Donnie, sitting up. "I just had a horrible realization," Donnie turns to Splinter. "He's been going easy on us all these years!"

He stares at me and I back away, a little creeped out. The Rat King chuckles and Donnie leaps into the air, preparing to hit him with his staff, but Splinter moves to his right. Donnie chases after him, trying to jab him, but Splinter avoids it and when Donnie jumps towards him, he knocks his staff out of his hands. He elbows Donnie in the gut, making him fly towards the entrance.

"Donnie!" Mikey swings his chain as he's standing on a platform above where we came in. He throws it at Splinter, who captures Mikey's chain with his katana blade. With it, he throws Mikey to the other side of the lair and he crashes against the wall, falling in front of the rat. Raph charges at him, but Splinter moves past him.

"Nobody hits Mikey but me." He turns around, but Splinter has disappeared. He looks up to see Splinter backflipping above him and knocks him towards us, his eyes white-eyed. Leo and I stand next to each other, the silence tense.

"Sensei, please!"

"This isn't you. It's us!" I gesture to myself. He advances towards us and we run towards him, clashing weapons back and forth. I make my hands chilly, summoning spikes underneath Splinter, but he jumps over them. He swings his sword at Leo, who jumps over it. I do the same, landing on top of one of the spikes I summoned. I jump towards him and he deflects my sword, knocking me into Leo. He pushes me back slightly.

"Stay here. I'll deal with him on my own."

"What? But Leo...!"

He ignores me as Splinter jumps towards him. He knocks both swords out of Leo's hands, kicking him to the ground. He places his foot on Leo's plastron, pointing his sword at his head.

"Wait!"

"Finish him," Rat King declares.

"Remember who you are," Leo starts off and I walk up to Splinter.

"Hamato Yoshi. You're Hamato Yoshi," I say calmly, taking out the picture from my purse. I hold it up so Splinter can see.

"Amy, get out of here, now!" Leo shouts at me, but I don't listen.

"You are Hamato Yoshi." He narrows his eyes at the photo.

"Donnie, Raph, now!" Leo cries out and the two tackle him. "Please, father, we need you." We stand over him and my eyes soften as I remember what Splinter did for me. He took me in...treated me like one of his own...and he helped trained me into who I am today. I'll always be grateful for that, and now...I need to return the favor by helping him.

"Don't listen to them, brother. Your place is with me." Rat King tries to persuade him with his power. Splinter knocks all of us off of him, pinning down Leo and holding his sword in his hand.

"No!" I yell, trying to pull his arm away. Rat King grins evilly as Leo's eyes widen.

"My place...is with my children!" To my utter shock, he charges at Rat King, pushes two fingers into his chest...and knocks him into a pipe, causing him to fall onto the ground. My mouth drops open, pointing to Rat King and then Splinter. He just...!

The others are shocked at his move too before they hug him. "Sensei!" He smiles at them and I grin at the family moment.

"Amelia, you too."

I chuckle and stand between Raph and Mikey, hugging him too. We look to see the rats crawling over the Rat King, and then he's gone.

"And that's the last we'll see of Count Ratula," Mikey wiggles his fingers and we all stare at him, Splinter shaking his head. "Yeah, alright. It's Rat King, but I'm naming the next one."

* * *

We've all returned home safely with Splinter, who is meditating. Leo and I walk inside to check on him, to make sure that there's no side effects.

"Sensei, are you sure you're okay?"

"I am fine, thanks to you. You did well, my children," Splinter places his hands on our shoulders and we smile at him.

"Well, you did hesitate, and hesitation leads to vulnerability," Leo reminds him of what he said before.

"We did pretty good too, huh?" Mikey peeks his head around the corner, Donnie waving and Raph flexing his muscles. I roll my eyes playfully at them.

"Yes, I am proud of you all," Splinter remarks.

"Who knows?" Leo looks up at him. "Maybe one day we'll be even better martial artists than you."

"Remember my son, everything you know I've shown you." Splinter twists Leo's arm and throws him into the wall. I giggle at him and Splinter pats my head, walking away. "But I have not shown you everything I know."

"It's great to have you back, Sensei," Leo calls out painfully as the other turtles are smiling at him. Splinter chuckles at his move and Leo pouts as I'm still laughing. He then suddenly grins at his brothers, turning to me.

"Hey, Amy, you ticklish?"

What does that have to do with anything? "Yeah, why?" I ask curiously and the other turtles grin widely, inching towards me. "Oh no."

"Come here!"

"Eep!" I run out of the dojo with four turtles chasing after me, but I don't get very far as they tackle me onto the ground, tickling me all over. "Nooooo!"


	14. New Girl in Town

**Angel: Regarding a second season that some people would want, I've put up a poll on my profile. So, if you guys want me to do another season, vote yes. If you want the rest of the series to stay the way it is, with the original series, say no. That way it can be fair for everyone and if I get yes from a majority, it won't be pressure since I love this series anyway. *shrugs* Why I didn't decide this myself is because for me, I'm not too sure on what to do. I mean, either way, I would still be doing 3 stories by the end of the year :/**

 **Right now I'm on episode 23 for this, so I have four more days total to finish this story off. I'll keep the poll until... next Friday, because this Friday I'm seeing Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse! Heck yeah! Me, I've always been a huge Marvel fan since I was little...but TMNT still comes in first. Sorry Spiderman XD I will still update on Friday in the morning, but not tomorrow. I posted this just so you guys could see the news in case you didn't check my profile before this. Plus, updating three times a week is already enough. Also, get ready, because this chapter is looooooong.**

Remember Snakeweed? The first mutant that the turtles had to fight when they rescued April and me? The one that exploded into pieces at the Kraang's lair? Somehow, he's revived and we're chasing him on the streets near the fortune cookie factory. Mikey and Donnie land in front of him and they give chase as Leo and Raph join them. I'm running on the rooftops so I don't lose sight of him. A pizza boy at an intersection is passing by and Snakeweed snatches him.

"No! Not the pizza guy! Take Donnie!" I hear Mikey shout.

"Snakeweed's getting away!" Donnie says as we follow him into an alley.

"Somebody help me!" The pizza boy calls out and Leo stops the other turtles. I jump down to them from the rooftop, landing near Mikey and Donnie.

"We've got him trapped."

"Good," Raph pulls out his swords. "Then let's go weed-whacking!"

"Tree-trimming!" Donnie takes out his staff.

"Root-pulling?" I ask hesitantly, Raph nodding at me.

"Gardening!" Mikey exclaims, punching the air. "Boom. Ha ha, oh yeah. Mikey put the sprinkles on that sundae."

Raph sighs slowly, ready to charge in. "Let's go."

Leo, however, stops him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Hang on, Raph. We're not charging a 12-foot, regenerating mutant."

"Then what are we doing?!" Raph demands.

"We'll take Snakeweed from above," Leo points up to some clothes hanging from a building possible by clotheslines. "Tie him up in the clothesline. Come on." He starts to climb up the rooftops, but the rest of us don't. I'm only skeptical because I don't think clotheslines will keep him tied up.

"That'll take forever, and we have to stop Snakeweed now! I mean, he's kidnapping people," Raph points.

"Not just people. People who bring pizza," Mikey corrects and I sigh, walking up to the building so I can get away from his protesting.

"We take him from above. Let's move!" Leo repeats to them sternly and we stand at the edge. "On my count. One, two-" We look down to see nothing and no one. Snakeweed has escaped with his hostage. "Where'd he...?" We look around, but zilch. It's like he was there a minute ago, and gone in an instant. I wonder how he got away so fast without a trace. I don't see anything green or anything from the pizza boy that could indicate they were there.

"And the award for worst leader goes to-"

"How am I the worst leader?" Leo interrupts Raph.

"If we did this my way, Snakeweed would be toast by now!"

"Ugh, that'd be some tasty toast," Mikey says in disgust and Donnie leads him away from their two brothers.

"This way would've worked if you hadn't wasted time second-guessing my orders," Leo argues to Raph. I pinch my forehead, sighing.

"Here we go again..." I murmur to myself.

"Don't give bad orders, and I won't second-guess them," Raph remarks back.

"You know what, Raph? If you think you could do better, why don't you lead?" Leo points at him.

"First good idea you've had all day!" Their veins clash as they both growl at each other. Mikey steps in between them.

"We'll compromise. I'll lead."

They both glare at him, indicating that he should stay out of this. "Come on, guys, we're not really do this, are we? It's Raph," I look at them, but I'm ignored.

"Fine, Raph, the team's yours. I'm outta here," Leo storms off and we stare at him.

"I can't believe he's gone," Mikey says in dismay and Donnie places his hand on his shell.

"Aw, don't worry, Mikey. Leo...he just needs some space." Mikey looks up at him. "You meant the pizza guy, didn't you?"

"Yeah..."

"This isn't happening," I scoff, shaking my hair slightly as I pace. After what I just witnessed, I can't believe it got to this point. I know I may be judgmental here, but it's Leo. He can't just...just leave. "I can't even...what the hell is your problem?!" I glare at Raph.

Donnie and Mikey's mouths drop open. Yeah, I said it. I could care less right now. "Me?! He's the one with the bad orders! He let Snakeweed get away." Raph returns the glare right back.

"Uh oh," Donnie leads Mikey away even further.

"You don't just do that, Raph. He's under a lot of pressure."

"Listen, Miss Sunshine, if you got a problem with it, why don't you join him?! Oh, I've been wanting to say this for a long time, you've had this coming. Having you on this team is making us soft. Yeah, with all your girly perfume and cleaning and dainty decorations all over our manhood! Beat it! Yeah, we don't need ya! No one said you had to stay! Ya try to act all brave and nice, but I know you. On the inside, you're scared, weak, a no-"

My hand speaks for me as I slap him across the face, the loud smack echoing into the sky. Raph doesn't even look shocked as Mikey and Donnie cover their mouths in shock. Raph chuckles at me, looking down at me as I have a hardened look on my face.

"I knew it..."

I huff, as I am not gonna stand here and listen to this bull. "You don't know anything about me."

And with that, I walk past him and Donnie holds out a hand. "Amy, wait! Where are you going?"

I turn around sharply. "I'm going HOME!" I scream, my head turning bigger as I scream the last word. Donnie and Mikey hug each other in fear as I walk away from them. I don't need Raph to tell me who I am, or how I apparently make them soft. That stupid idiot, he's so hotheaded and arrogant.

* * *

I don't know how long I've walked, as I'm a long way from the lair. I didn't feel like going back there, I'm too upset at Raph and his stupidity. I look down to see that there's ice below my feet, which means I froze a part of the roof. I growl in frustration, sitting down and running a hand through my hair. I wish Raph wasn't like a bull so I wouldn't wanna punch his dumb green face. I don't regret that slap at all. He deserved after all that stuff he said.

I hear a helicopter nearby and I place my hands on my hips, huffing. "First he had to make Leo all mad and now he's doing it to me. I blame him if I start a snowstorm and we get all cold and freeze to death and...stuff."

I hear tapping and then a kick as a fan lands near my feet. "Huh?" I look up to see Leo, who's moping around. "Hey, he's still out here! I should probably talk to him to see if he's okay...and so I can stop talking to myself." I follow after him on foot, but not too close so that he can sense me. I hide behind a billboard, peeking from the left side as I see Foot ninjas appearing behind him. They must've been out on Shredder's orders and stumbled onto him.

Leo pulls out his swords. "Foot Clan?" He scoffs a little, "You guys just made my night." He ducks from a sword and knocks one off the roof, deflecting their weapons. He spins and kicks one down and before I knew it, they were all defeated. "Ah, I feel so much better."

"Leo!"

His eyes widen slightly as I come out of hiding, jumping down from the billboard. "Are you okay? Raph's just being a jerk, you know him."

"Leave me alone," He tells me angrily and I give a hurt look at his tone. I know he wants to be left alone, but talking with someone helps. That's what I would do if I'm angry...I've never seen him like this before.

"But, I wanna help you. You'd do the same for me...please," I reach out a hand to him, but he slaps it away.

"Not now! Just go away! I hate being leader, I hate having all of this responsibility, and most of all, I hate YOU!" He pushes me away slightly. I give him a look of horror as my eyes water. I could feel the snow surrounding me as the wind blows into my hair. Why is he saying all of those awful things?

"If...that's how you really fe-"

"BYE!" He screams at me and I take off into a run, ice forming with each step. I try to stop the tears, but they just keep coming. I can't believe he said that to me...Two of my friends hate me. Who's next, Donnie? Mikey?

Maybe I should ask someone for advice...and I know just who to ask...

* * *

I knock on April's window. "April. April, are you awake?"

She soon appears as she's wearing a yellow long-sleeved shirt and floral pants. Rubbing her eyes, she sees me and opens the window. "Amy? What are you doing here?"

"April..." I sigh as I sit down. "I need to talk to you. You know...girl to girl."

She gasps and grasps me by the shoulders. "I've been preparing for this my whole life. Tell me what's happening!"

I blink at her weirdly before I scratch my neck nervously. "Um...it has to do with a boy...well...not really a human boy per say."

April gasps sharply, her eyes shining in a way that scares me a little, to be honest. "Is this about Leo? Finally we get to talk about him! Tell me everything."

I raise an eyebrow at her. "Okay...see, we were chasing after Snakeweed." I ramble on as I continue the story and April looks at me like she's not following. I see her face and sigh slowly. "Raph and Leo got into a fight, and then Leo and I got into a fight."

"Ohh. Wait, why?"

"Ask him, he's the one who got all upset and saying things like 'I hate having all of this responsibility.' I think he's really angry at me, April, what do I do?"

"...What do you wanna do?"

I glance at her as she's looking at me curiously. "April."

"Yeah?"

"I came over here so you could tell me!"

She can't help but laugh and I start laughing too, sitting on the window sill. We eventually stop and I lean my head against the plank with a sigh. "I don't know...I think maybe I should just go home and think about all this...I need some time."

"What about Leo?"

I sigh wearily. "I dunno...deep down, I...really like him, but I don't think I can deal with this problem right now. It'd be too much after all that's happened earlier. Maybe I'll think about it and decide what to do..."

"Okay, I support you, but I still think you should talk about it some more with someone else to get a second opinion. It might help you out...Amy?"

"Yes?"

"You're freezing my window."

"Sorry," I smile nervously as I stand up, seeing the aforementioned ice surrounding her window.

"Good luck, Amy. See you soon...I hope," April closes the window, breaking off the ice from it. I look up at the moon, thinking about Leo...and how much I wanted him here with me...

* * *

 **~Leo~**

I walk into Donnie's lab, rubbing my red eyes. "Leo's back!" Mikey exclaims and I look up. "And he's been crying." Mikey jumps off the chair and hugs me. "Aw, you missed us!"

I move Mikey off of me, as that wasn't the case at all. "I got hit with blinding powder."

"Surrrre. Big softie."

I roll my eyes silently as I look at Raph. That pig-headed, big-mouthed brother of mine. "And where have you been?"

"Don't see how that's your business."

"Fine, whatever," He looks away and Mikey steps in between us.

"Dudes, can't we just be cool with each other? Let's hug this out," He brings the both of us closer to him and Raph elbows him in the gut. "Okay, now the healing can begin."

Donnie eyes me and I can tell that something's wrong just by his look. "Hey, where's Amy? Wasn't she with you?"

"She's not here?" I ask in slight worry and then I remember that stupid fight I had with her. Oh...right, she probably wouldn't be here. But now she might be hurt out there...I don't know why I said all those things. I think it's because of what happened with Raph that I didn't know what I was saying, but...I meant it. I'm tired of not being able to have fun, and I'm tired of my own brothers not listening to my orders, especially Raph.

"No, and we don't need her. I told her to get lost," Raph waves it off and I narrow my eyes. What did he do to her?

Donnie suddenly stands up. "Hey, I think I figured out where Snakeweed's hideout is."

"Where?" I ask quickly, because we need to stop him. And in the meantime find Amy...

"Okay, the radical pattern of recent Snakeweed sightings indicates his lair is at the epicenter of 47th and-"

Raph steps in front of him. "Actually, you're on a 'need to know' basis. And guess what? You don't need to know."

I huff at his attitude and walk off. He thinks he's so smug now, but I already know that he won't be able to handle this. I slam the door shut behind me.

* * *

After they left, I washed my eyes until the redness came off of them, but the memory of who did it to me was still there...I've never met somewhere like her before. She's so...mysterious, but skilled. And then there's Amy. She's so sweet and curious...and she does like Space Heroes. I've realized for a while now that I have feelings for her, but then Karai comes in and it's like I'm questioning everything I've known ever since I met Amy.

I'm watching the episode where Captain Ryan fell in love with an alien. They're kissing each other and she pulls away.

"We shouldn't be together, Ryan. It's against your fleet protocol!" She puts her hand to his cheek.

"Well, Celestial, you don't get to be captain of the Dauntless by following all the rules." I ponder those words. What does he mean by that? That there's certain rules you shouldn't follow?

"Good," She points a blaster at them. "Then you won't mind giving me the codes!"

"Celestial, you just broke my heart," He presses a button and then she vanishes, disappearing. "But my disintegrator still works!" He looks at the ground to see her white and blue boots. "At least I'll have these to remember her by."

"Boy, relationships are complicated," I murmur as I switch off the volume.

"Leonardo." I look over my shoulder to see Splinter. "Where are Amelia and your brothers?"

"I have no idea."

"What do you mean, you have no idea?"

"Raph thinks he can lead the team better than me, so I let him," I explain, my thoughts lingering on what happened after. Man, what is wrong with me? Why did I have to pick a fight with the last person who I wanted to get into a fight with? I would prefer picking a fight with Raph than with Amy...

"That is not your decision to make."

"Why not, Sensei?" I turn to him, standing up. "I've had to make every other decision, and I'm tired of it. Those guys have no idea what kind of pressure I'm under, and all they do is complain. I-I don't even think Amy respects me. Is it too much to ask for a simple thank-you?"

Splinter grips his staff, slamming it onto the ground. "Of course it is!" I'm surprised by his outburst. "Leadership is not about being appreciated. It is about responsibility. It doesn't matter if the burden is heavy. It matters that you carry it. Now go find your brothers and Amelia. Leonardo...do you truly believe that she would not understand?"

* * *

I jump down to the alley, grumbling to myself. "What if I don't want the burden?"

 _I hate being leader, I hate having all of this responsibility, and most of all, I hate YOU!_

Sighing wearily, I remember her face. I screwed up big time. Almost every single time I'm near her, I stumble like an idiot because I don't want to look stupid in front of a girl I like. But when I try to say something and I say something weird, it freaks her out. I don't even know if she would even want to be with me after our fight...she probably hates me. It's only natural after what I did. She's probably disgusted by me...by my appearance.

And now I don't have a chance...

I'll deal with it later...I wouldn't even know where to find her in all of New York, so I'll concentrate on finding my brothers first, even if I don't want to.

I sigh as I try to think. "Where are those guys? Donnie said something about 47th and uh..."

"You always talk to yourself?" A voice interrupts my thoughts.

I turn around to the kunoichi, Karai, that I met right after my fight with Amy. "Sometimes I'm the only one who'll listen." I grin at her for the distraction, which I really needed. I know that she's from the Foot, but I don't think she really wants to hurt me. Why knock me out and then leave while telling me her name? That had to mean something...or maybe she's just teasing me.

"I'll listen...when you beg for your life," She pulls her tanto free. I unsheathe my right katana, holding it in my hand.

"Let's see how well you do against someone who can see," I challenge.

"Let's see how well you do against someone who's better than you," She retorts.

"Well, let's see how well YOU do, against...well...let's just go!" Not only was I impatient, but I couldn't think of anything else. We kneel onto the ground, standing up as we hold our weapons with both hands. We adjust our grip, eyes locked onto each other. We plant our feet, getting our stances ready. She makes the first move, lunging towards me through the air.

* * *

 **~Amy~**

I'm sitting on the floor of my old bedroom, hiding my head in my arms. So much emotion and turmoil has happened tonight...when can it all be over? What could happen to change all this? I wouldn't even know where to start if I were to do anything...

There's suddenly a thump and I whip my head around, seeing nothing but my open window, which I picked earlier using one of my hair pins. Only, the window is slightly moved, and there's no wind out right now, so I'm already suspicious. I glance around the room as I can sense someone's presence here. It's not the turtles, because it doesn't smell like sewer water. I narrow my eyes in annoyance. I am not in the mood for this.

I hear someone move past me and I pull out my sword. "Whoever you are, show yourself! I know you're in here."

He steps out of the shadows. He's a tall boy with brown wild hair that sticks out everywhere, but there's blonde tips at the ends. He's wearing silver armor with black undergarments, which is eerily familiar... He also has brown eyes, brown like his hair. He's clearly a ninja, he's got the look and equipment available...

"So...is this a bad time?" He asks smugly. He's a ninja, but this is the first time I've ever heard one speak besides Dogpound. But he sounds different from the mutant, though. He sounds very confident and smug, and that immediately reminds me of Raph, so he's gotta leave.

"What are you doing in my house?!" I hiss at him. He doesn't answer. Instead, he charges right at me and I block his weapon, a tanto. That's a small sword. I clash my weapon with his.

"I want to help you."

"If this is helping, you're not very smart, are you?" I retort and I stomp my foot, causing my floor to turn into ice. He flips above it, landing on the pillar of my bed. "And why would you want to help me? I don't even know you."

"Oh, excuse my manners," He charges at me again and I spin around to kick, but he dodges it, landing against the wall and knocking down my T-Phone. "My name's Jared. I'm with the Foot."

The Foot?! In my apartment?! Oh, Shredder's really crossing a line here.

"He sees...potential in you," He looks at my alarm clock and picks it up, inspecting it. "He knows about your powers and wants to use them. But I can't take you to him. Not when you look like...that." He looks at me up and down with his eyes and I touch my face. I hadn't realized I was crying until now. "So I came to see what the fuss was all about. Personally, I don't see it."

"Why don't you get closer so you can experience it yourself?" Snowflakes form from my hand. He jumps at me again, but this time, I slam my hand down his back so that he hits the ground. I point my sword at his forehead as he looks up at me, grinning widely.

"You're good, pretty good. But not better."

"Yeah? Well, I know someone who can be better."

"Oh really? Who?" I hesitate as I think about Leo, my sword lowering a little. "I think I might know him. He's probably getting de-shelled by Karai right about now."

"Karai?" She can't be this other girl that the turtles keep mentioning...no, she's not. And yet I'm still worried. But why would he say that? Is he trying to confuse me? Did Shredder order him to do that so he'll catch me off my guard? "Why are you telling me all this? What's your deal?!"

He sweeps his leg, knocking me off of my feet and standing over me. He kneels down, pressing the katana to my throat. "Don't you care about him? I hear you two have quite the chemistry."

"Get off of me! I don't care what happens to him!" Since when was it his business to know my personal life?

"You're such a liar," He stands up, sheathing his sword. "I'll get out of your hair. But know this: Next time...you won't be so lucky."

He jumps out of the window and I stare after him, wondering what just happened. I snort as I cross my arms. He's lying...

Right?

As I'm thinking about the recent events, I get a phone call from my T-Phone. I look at it to see Raph's stupid face on the line. Man, first a Foot ninja attacks me in my own home, and now Raph's calling to mock me? This is the worst day ever.

I pick up anyway and put the phone to my ear. "Raph, whatever it is, save it for-"

"Amy, shut up. We need your help, get over to the lair, now!" It sounds really urgent, I've never heard Raph panic before. Or at least, nothing like how he sounds to me now, he sounds really afraid.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"No time to explain, just do it!" And with that, he hangs up. I sigh in annoyance and grab my sword. I climb out the window and turn around, seeing the ice melt on my floor. I'll probably have to clean that...another reason why I hate today. Nonetheless, I grab my jacket, jump off my fire escape, and slide my way down to the alley, heading out to find a manhole cover.

* * *

 **~Leo~**

I know women are complicated, but Karai...I can't help but feel that I can trust her. Tonight has just been crazy...I need someone to talk to. So that's why I decided to visit April. I know it's late and she's asleep, but with Amy still missing and me not wanting to tell my brothers about this, my options are limited. Besides, telling Amy about another girl...it just wouldn't feel right.

Karai's words from our fight...it got to me. Don't tell me the goody-three-toes thing doesn't wear thin after a while.

It's like...it's like she's messing with my head, but she doesn't mean to. I admit that I do miss having fun...there's no time for me to not worry about anything, not have any responsibilities...with Amy, she knows how to have fun, but not like Karai. But still, Amy's always supporting me and my brothers, and...she was the first one who genuinely thanked me for saving her. Others would just scream and run away. That was what drew me to her in the first place. She didn't scream at me or call me a freak...she was the first person to accept me for who I am.

Or least, she did until I decided to yell at her.

I tap on April's closed window. "April?" She steps in front of her window sleepily.

"Leo?" I wave at her.

"Ugh, this better be good," She opens the window.

"Hey, I need to talk."

"Can it wait till morning?" She sits on the window, rubbing her eyes.

"I met this girl," I say simply, smiling. April gasps, yanking me forward by the shoulders and our noses are inches apart.

"Tell me everything!" But for some reason, she frowns to herself, which is weird.

"Well, ah, she's really cool."

She nods, grinning.

"She's also a martial artist."

Another nod.

"And, uh..." I pause as I don't know how she'll react to this next part. "She's in the Foot Clan." She simply blinks and then I get a smack to the face by a magazine. I have no idea where she got it, but that definitely felt real.

"Are you crazy?!"

"April, she's different," I try to defend myself, "She's-"

"In the Foot Clan," She interrupts sharply.

"Yeah, but she's-"

"In the Foot Clan!"

"Look, I know I shouldn't be hanging out with her."

"Yeah, you got that right. You know why? CAUSE SHE'S IN THE FOOT CLAN!" She yells so loud my mask tails are flying.

"April, she's fun! And I'm tired of being the responsible one. When do I get to have fun?" I ask exasperatedly. She looks at me and crosses her arms.

"What about Amy? She's fun."

"I know that, and I love hanging out with her. I mean, come on, a Space Heroes fan! But we got into this fight, and...I'm not sure if she'll want to be with me. Just look at me. She's nice, sweet, and beautiful, and I'm just...a mutant. She might hate me and not want to live at the lair anymore...how am I supposed to live with that and have feelings for her when I'm just gonna hurt her?"

April hesitates and I sense that there's something that she's not telling me. "Well, she was here earlier..."

I perk up at that, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her. "Really?! Is she okay? Where is she, do you know?"

"Whooooa, slow down Romeo," She places her hands on top of mine, pulling them away. "Amy came here a few hours ago wanting to talk. She's...not great. Whatever happened between you, you need to fix it, because she's miserable."

I look down at the ground as I can't imagine her being so sad...and the fact that I caused it? That just makes me feel worse.

"She said she needed some space, so if she's cooled down at this point, she might be out looking for you right now...pun unintended. You'll find each other eventually."

"I hope so..." I need to apologize to her. Just because I wanna have fun and not be responsible sometimes doesn't mean I should push her away. I really like Amy, but Karai...

"So what does this girl want from you?"

"I don't know. I'm meeting her later at the Bylerly Building. She's got something planned."

"Yeah, like pushing you OFF the Bylerly Building. It's a trap, Leo!"

"I don't think so. There's good in here, I know there is. I can feel it," I insist.

"I hope you're right," She shuts the window and I'm left with my thoughts. Is she right, is this a trap? If it is...it doesn't feel that way. Just speaking to someone like Karai is a thrill, something I desperately needed. With that through my mind, I head off to the Bylerly Building.

* * *

 **~Amy~**

I jump over the turnstiles, panting as I look around. I don't see anyone until Raph and Donnie run in, holding an injured Mikey. "Help!"

Splinter peeks in from the dojo and steps out, pointing. "Set him down."

"What happened?!" I ask in shock as I look over the turtle. He's unconscious, but breathing. Splinter joins Mikey's side, looking up at Raph.

"Where is Leonardo?"

"He didn't come back?" I question in worry, looking up.

"I don't know. Sensei, this is a disaster, and it's all my fault. I don't know what happened. I just...froze up. I mean, I have no problem risking my own life, but...risking my brothers'? Or even...my friend." Raph glances at me. "Thanks...for coming."

I look at him in surprise at his sudden tone. He doesn't sound angry anymore...he sounds guilty and remorseful. I've seen him before with these kind of emotions, but nothing like this...

Splinter touches Mikey's face as I feel his neck, sensing a pulse. "Now you see the price of leadership: responsibility."

"Yeah, I hate it," Raph looks away.

"So you understand Leonardo's burden?"

Raph nods slowly. "We need him back, both of you." He looks at me, and I can sense his regret. "I need you both back..."

"Then go get him," Splinter stands up.

"But Sensei, I don't know where he is," Raph says in confusion.

"He's going to the Bylerly Building."

We stare at Donnie, wondering how he knew that if he hasn't seen the turtle for hours. "April texted me," He holds up his phone before his eyes widen, looking at it. "April texted me," He stands up. "Oh, this is the best day!"

We hear Mikey groan and he stops cheering. "Well, I mean, it's had its up and downs."

"Real nice," I murmur, Raph and Donnie staring at me. "What?"

"Amy...what happened with you and Leo?" Raph wonders and I sigh, running a hand through my hair.

"Long story short, we got into a fight, and...well, I'm worried about him. First there's this other girl you guys keep mentioning and now I might never get to tell him how I feel..."

Donnie and Raph glance at each other, Donnie sighing slowly. "That's because...that other girl is you."

My eyes widen as I take in the info. The other girl they keep mentioning...is me? "What...?"

"It's true. The you-know-who stuff, the teasing...all of it is about you. You see, before we got to know ya...we met Snakeweed, before he was mutated. We used him to locate the Kraang's lair. But what we weren't expecting was for him to insult you," Raph starts off.

"Insult me? Well, what did he say?" I ask curiously.

"About..." Donnie closes his eyes, patting Mikey on the head. "About how you deserved what happened to you. It...it wasn't right. I honestly felt a little sick hearing such awful things."

"Yeah, me too," Raph grunts slightly. "And then...Leo punched him in the face."

"He did what?!" I ask in surprise, standing up.

They both nod at me. "Anger clouded his thoughts, and he wanted to preserve your pride for you," Splinter explains and I touch my heart. I can't believe he did that for me...and all because Snake insulted me...so he really does care...

"We have to find him," I say in concern, turning to Raph. "Please, can I go with you?"

"After what ya just told me, he might not want-"

"Please!" I interrupt, pleading as tears come to my eyes. "I don't care if he hates me, but please...let me see him. Don't make me have to go to him...and beg..."

Raph nods rapidly and we take off to the Bylerly Building, leaving Splinter and Donnie to take care of Mikey.

* * *

 **~Leo~**

I appear on the edge of the Byerly Building as Karai is pacing around. She suddenly stops. "I was beginning to think you were a no-show, but you don't disappoint." This might be the biggest mistake of my life, and I still don't completely trust her.

"So, what's this about?" I step closer to her. She tosses me a pair of binoculars, pointing to a window.

"That."

I lift the binoculars to my eyes, finding the window. What I see takes my breath away. "That's the sword of Miyamoto Musashi...!" I crouch down, lowering the binoculars. How did she find this? I...I remember telling Amy about this. She was so happy to be learning about Japan, she had this smile on her face that made me melt...

"The greatest swordsman in the history of Japan. It's ancient. It's priceless. And it's yours... _if_ you help me." Our eyes meet.

"Do what?" I ask suspiciously.

"You know what. We're gonna steal it."

"No, we're not," I say firmly. I cross the line at stealing. It's wrong.

Karai frowns at me. "Come on, that sword is just sitting there, collecting dust. You know you deserve that katana! Certainly more than some lazy rich guy." She really thinks that I deserve that sword? It's beautiful, but...stealing to have it...and besides...Amy might never see me the same way again. I can handle her possibly hating me for a little while, but...this would crush her. I'm supposed to be there for her, protect her at all times. And she won't see me like that if I do something like steal. No, I won't do it. I need to be the best leader I can...for her.

She steps closer to me. "Stop being responsible, Leo." She crouches beside me, places her hand on my shell, and looks at me intensely. "Stop waiting for people to give you the life you want. Go out and take it."

"N-No," I turn away as I don't want to be swayed into it. It's my burden to be responsible, for my team. No matter how much I wanted to believe...

Karai leans back, smirking. "This is about that girl, isn't it?"

My eyes widen. She knows about Amy already? She just laughs, standing up. "She's not going to wait on you. Do you really think that you have a shot with her? Not after what I saw."

No, she's wrong. I clench my fist. "It's not the fact that Amy might hate me. I can handle that for a little while. It's that...all I could end up doing is hurting her, whether I cause it or I'm not there to protect her."

"Aww, how sweet," She mocks. "I'm getting that sword, Leo, with or without you. Choose."

"I can't. It's wrong," I say certainly, standing up.

"You're starting to bore me..." She reaches towards her tanto, but I grab her hand, stopping. I grasp it towards me.

"Karai...you don't have to do this." I look at her intensely, hoping she'd listen. She doesn't need to resort to stealing.

"I know. That's what makes it fun!" She sweeps my legs, twists my arm to spin my body, and then slams me down to my chin. She places her foot on my shell. My eyes are wide, first at her, then at...Amy and Raph?

 **~Amy~**

"Leo!" Raph calls out as we arrive, seeing him pinned down by a kunoichi. She...she has the same armor as Jared does...which means she's in the Foot too. I stare at Leo, clenching a fist as my hair is being flown behind my back. What's he doing with her?

"Wha? What are you doing? Who's she?!" Raph asks my questions for me.

"Um, uh," Leo taps his fingers against the roof nervously. He...he acts just as nervous with her than he does with me... "Raph, Amy, Karai. Karai, Amy and Raph."

"What are you, friends with her?" Raph questions in disbelief. "We're out there risking our necks, and you're up here holding hands with the Foot!"

I just stand there as Raph walks up to her. She lets him go. I can feel the tears forming...no. I didn't come here to break down, but...it feels like my dream is ending. And how can I blame him? He can talk to whoever he wants, even if they're from the Foot...but my hope...hope that we'd become more than friends...just shattered. It's like I don't even know him anymore...

"I can explain," Leo starts off.

"This should be entertaining," Karai crosses her arms and then sees me. She does nothing but smirk. I gasp in despair. What's she trying to tell me? Then I see something weird coming off of Raph's shell, it's a small orange blot. It's giving off smoke, what's that supposed to mean?

"You see, Karai and I share an appreciation for the fine craftsmanship of-"

There's a growl behind me and we turn around to see Snakeweed. "I found you, turtles!"

"Oh, thank goodness," Leo says in relief, unsheathing his swords. Raph pulls out his sais and Snakeweed thrusts his vine towards us. We jump out of the way, Leo and Raph coming to a stop.

"All is forgiven, you're the leader again, welcome back," Raph says so fast I felt like I got whiplash. Snakeweed threatens to stomp them, but they move out of the way. I clasp my hands together, not wanting to believe it. I don't wanna know the price for dreaming about it...but it's more than I can take...he might've...might've found someone else. I've liked him for so long, but...I think I realized it too late...he hasn't even looked at me since I arrived. I can't believe I was so oblivious this whole time about my feelings. They were there the whole time and I didn't see it at all. I...I knew that I had a connection with him when he saved me from the Kraang, but...I just never knew...and I thought he felt the same as he's nice to me...he punched a guy for me...and he would do anything for me.

Raph spins around the vine while Leo cuts another one in half. He swings and slices another one, the purple blood spilling out of his limbs. Leo jumps and looks at the kunoichi, who does nothing. Snakeweed captures his arm, throwing him to the edge of the building. His sword falls in the process. He grabs Leo's torso and starts pulling him. Leo looks up at Snakeweed and Raph is knocked down by the mutant, unable to help. Snakeweed picks up Raph by the leg and Raph tries to fight him off. Leo then turns to see me, his eyes widening.

"...Amy...Karai! Karai, please! Help!"

I don't know why I won't move...maybe I'm in shock? 'Karai' pulls out her tanto and throws it. Leo ducks his head, expecting her to take him out while he's helpless, but instead...it lands above his head. Leo looks at us, confused before seeing the blade.

"Sayonara," She backflips, escaping. Leo grabs the tanto and cuts himself free, jumping up to Snakeweed and kicking him in the face. Raph also cuts himself free and lands behind Leo.

"Raph, Amy, follow me. I've got an idea!"

"You're the boss," Raph agrees and he follows after him. I just stare at Snakeweed, not sure what to do... "Come on!" Raph grabs my arm and pulls me away from Snakeweed. We jump down the fire escape, landing in front of a building. Leo runs towards some blue containers, but a vine blocks our path and Snakeweed knocks us down. "Now what?"

"We charge him," Leo stands up.

"Really?" Raph asks skeptically.

"Trust me." I glance at Raph. I do have to trust him...not because I have to, but because if it weren't for him and his brothers, I wouldn't even be here. "Let's move." We dodge a vine, Raph jumping before we run towards him. Leo flips in the air as he dodges the vines, jumping into the air and spinning. He kicks Snakeweed's heart, causing him to be disoriented. Leo runs past him to get to the containers. Raph and I try to fend him off, seeing a claw coming right towards us from above. I flash-freeze it and kick in the air, breaking the claw. Raph pierces another vine, but gets lifted in the air. He uses this to kick Snakeweed in the face.

Leo's holding one of the containers, throwing it at him. He charges with another one in hand, but Snakeweed knocks him into the other ones. Leo gasps as he looks up, weaponless as Snakeweed looms over him. Raph and I run towards him, jumping onto him. He throws us off, Snakeweed holding Raph by his throat. He takes all the containers except one, which Leo takes as Snakeweed holds him by his neck. Leo shoves the last container into his mouth, kicking it further.

"Raph, Amy!" Leo lands near us. "Now!"

I throw an ice dagger at the container, making the container explode and freezing Snakeweed. Raph jumps up into the air, using Snakeweed to jump further. "Booyakasha!" He points his sai down and destroys Snakeweed into pieces. We look over what's left of him, Raph turning to Leo. "Nice work."

"Thanks. Good to be back."

"And, uh, guys...Sorry," He whispers quietly.

"What did you say?" Leo leans in, holding up a hand. "I couldn't hear."

Raph scoffs at him. "I said...I'm SORRY!" He shouts that so loud I could've gone deaf.

"Ugh..." Leo holds his ear. "Apology accepted..."

He turns to see me as I'm standing up. He's looking straight at me...why? Why doesn't he look away? What is he thinking? What is exactly going on with him and Karai? My eyes are shaking, and so are his for some reason.

"Amy..."

I back away, holding onto my bag...and then I run. I needed to get away from there, now.

* * *

When I arrive, Leo holds a pepperoni pizza to Mikey. He sniffs it and immediately wakes up. "Mm, pepperoni," He sits up slowly as Leo gets him up.

"Works every time."

"Mikey!" Raph grabs his little brother by the arms. "Don't scare me like that, buddy, I thought we lost ya," He actually hugs Mikey, I'm not kidding.

"Dudes, I had the weirdest dream. I dreamt the stuff in the sewer was made out of-"

"Eh, forget about it, Mikey," Donnie interrupts, "It was just a dream." He looks at Leo and I, nodding to make sure that we wouldn't tell him. Something tells me he didn't react well, and it'd be the same result unless we let him think it was a dream. Mikey takes the pizza and eats it as Raph leads Leo away.

"So what's with the girl who tried to kill ya?" I hear, as I'm not that far away. It's faint, but I can still hear.

"She didn't try to kill me. She saved me," Leo gestures to himself.

"She threw a knife at your head," Raph points out.

"She threw a knife near my head," Leo gestures to himself with the sword that she had...

"She's in the Foot Clan," Raph crosses his arms and Leo pats his shoulder.

"Nobody's perfect."

I can't listen to this anymore...I stand up and walk to the hallway where the bedrooms are.

"Ah, Amy, wait!"

I turn to Leo, who's standing a few feet away. "Are...you okay? You were gone for a while."

"Yeah...I just needed some air," I murmur and he frowns, shuffling his feet.

"I'm...sorry about what I said. Could we...maybe watch an episode of Space Heroes together? You missed one today..."

I stare at him. No...I need to move on. He's clearly not interested in me the way I am...so if I have to forget my feelings for him to do that, then fine. It's not like anything was gonna happen anyway now that Karai's in the picture...

"No...we might be friends, but I can't face you right now."

And with that, I shut my door closed.

* * *

Donnie looks focused as he's welding something together. He says it's for this big project of his that he can't tell me about. That it's something he wants to show the rest of us when he's done. He has it covered up in the middle of the lab so I can't see anything from it.

"You okay, Amy?" He asks me in concern as I'm playing around with one of his tools.

"Well...not really," I murmur, remembering that look Leo gave me...

"Do you...wanna talk about it?" He offers. I glance at him to see him smiling weakly, his welding mask off. "Leo's...well, he's not happy. You've been avoiding him ever since we got back and...he's just not himself. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but if you feel like it, I'm listening."

It's true...I have avoided Leo for the past few hours. I sigh slowly, sitting on his desk. "I'm...moving on from him."

He drops his item in shock, turning his full attention to me. "M-Moving on from him?! But why?"

"It's...complicated. If I confront him about it, it'll just make things worse. So...I'm forgetting about my feelings for him..."

He eyes me, taking off his mask and placing a hand on his desk. "Amy. I already know that this isn't about him being...well, us," Donnie gestures to himself. "And you don't see me forgetting about April, so what's so complicated that you feel like you have to move on from him?"

I frown, as that was his own business. It's already bad enough I had to see it. "I can't tell you that. Let's just say...something got in the way. It's gonna be too hard for me to have feelings for him AND deal with what's going on with him. There's...no room in his heart for me. I just can't do this, Donnie. All this waiting around..."

Donnie frowns deeply at that, fidgeting with his hand. "But you don't know that. You can't lose hope, it's never too late to tell someone your feelings. Please...I'm sure this will all get sorted out soon enough. I don't lose hope on April...besides, I think you two are good for each other. You're so different and yet so similar that you just connect. Just wait...your time will come, whether you tell him or not. You...still like him, right?"

"...Yeah. I never stopped liking him. He saved my life...I didn't care about how he looked and I still don't. It's just...with the 'thing' in the way...makes it harder to not be disheartened...and for me to tell him how I feel..."

"Well...you're a sweet girl. He doesn't know what he's missing out on," Donnie winks at me, patting my back. "So don't worry, something will happen eventually. You just wait."

"Thanks, Don..."

"Of course. You kept my secret about my crush on April," He gives me a gap toothed grin. "Figured I finally return the favor. If you want, I could even talk to Leo for you."

"No, don't," I wave my hands in denial. "He's got enough to think about, just leave him alone. Can you keep this between us, in fact?"

Donnie slowly nods in understanding. "I will. Promise."

"Thanks. Goodnight," I walk out of the lab. "Don't stay up too late."

"Ha ha, hilarious," He calls out and I close the door. I yawn, stretching my arms as I head to my room. I need a good night's sleep after all the craziness...and to get my mind off...things. I only hope that Donnie's right, that it's not too late to give up on Leo...


	15. The Alien Agenda

**Angel: Warning, this chapter is also really long, sorry XD Also, I'm almost done with this story! Yay! So when I finish this, it'll still be December, so I'm gonna update Rise of TMNT whenever the next episode comes out. That is, if they'll premiere it or release an episode or two before Christmas. Though, I highly doubt they'll premiere it since the two newest episodes haven't aired on TV yet at this point or even if they'll premiere them at all.**

 **I will tackle A movie in the summer, because school time obviously XD I don't know whether or not it'll be the 2007 one or the 2016 one for this franchise. I still haven't watched the 2016 one, since that was the last one from that franchise and I would need you know, time that I don't have besides for writing and studying. I especially don't have time to write tomorrow since I'm seeing a movie, so I had to type for Operation: Break Out yesterday instead of today. As for which movie I'll do, it'll most likely be 2007 since a lot of people ask for that one more than the 2016 one.**

 **I'll probably do a new story for TMNT since no one's responded to another season for this remake so far. That story will come out...early January, I think. But if people want the second season for this remake instead, then I'll do that in January. We'll wait and see.**

The turtles and I are fighting the Kraang in an alley. "Booyakasha!" Mikey screams as they're firing lasers at us.

"When fight is concluded, the ones called the turtles and Amelia are defeated by Kraang." Mikey jumps from wall to wall, dodging the lasers as he smacks a Kraang across the face. One fires a laser gun and Leo slices it off, slicing off the other arm. I jump up into the air and throw my hands down, impaling a Kraang's body with an icicle from the ground. Leo suddenly looks up for some reason, smiling. I glance up to see that kunoichi, Karai, with Jared. I haven't seen them together until now, which just makes me feel uncomfortable. I growl to myself and Leo kicks a Kraang down. He jumps in front of Raph who was doing fine with a Kraang.

"I'll save you, Raph!" He slices part of the body off.

" _You'll_ save?" Raph asks in disbelief and I cross my arms. I still haven't talked to Leo ever since what happened. I've kind of been avoiding him because I can't handle the situation right now. I know he wants us to hang out again, but hanging out with him as friends after what happened? How would I even be able to handle that? It's not like he's been helpful either. Lately, he's been focused on Karai this, Karai that. It hurts to think that he's so focused on her, but she's from the Foot. They're our enemies, and I'm afraid that one day she's gonna hurt him...and then it'd be too late. Raph told me...that Leo thinks he can change her, to try and be on our side. I don't know what it is about her...maybe it's because she's more skilled...and I'm just barely getting there. She's clearly more pretty with the black hair and if Leo likes dangerous girls, then fine...

Leo plants his feet against the wall and disarms a Kraang, spinning and kicking him away. He jumps and lands on top of a Kraang's head that Mikey has captured. "Relax, Mikey." he backflips and slices the arms off. "You're safe now." He looks up at Karai.

"Thanks. Wait, I was fine," Mikey says, Raph growling slightly. We just watch as Donnie spins his staff, swinging at a Kraang.

"Donnie, behind you!" Donnie falls for it, but there's nothing else behind him.

"The wall?" He turns back to see Leo slicing the Kraang into pieces. He backflips and lands behind me, slicing a Kraang.

"You're alright now, Amy," He winks and I roll my eyes. He lands behind us and sheathes his swords, pulling on a heroic pose. He glances up at Karai and I growl, ice forming on the walls. What does he think he's doing? Raph notices the ice, looking up to see Karai and Jared getting away.

"Uh, what the heck was that?" Donnie wonders as Mikey pushes past us.

"Yeah, you trying to impress us?" He hugs Leo. "Cause it totally worked," He pinches Leo's cheek, glancing at me and winking as he jerks a thumb to Leo. I glance at Donnie and Raph. Clearly, Mikey doesn't know about the...tension and awkwardness. The taller turtle notices Raph's expression.

"What is it, Raph?"

"I thought I saw something," He steps closer to Leo. "What about you, Leo? Did you see something?"

"No," Leo immediately denies, which means that he's still willing to lie to us in favor of a kunoichi from the Foot.

"Turtles first, right?" He stares at Leo in the eye.

"Turtles first."

Mikey looks between them, awkwardly stepping out of the way as the two glare at each other. "You feel like we're missing something?" Donnie asks Mikey.

"All the time," Mikey answers, the two looking at them. "Do you know something, Amy?"

"...No," I reply eventually. "I'm sure that there's nothing to worry about." I'm only saying that to keep the peace...maybe I'm just too upset to tell them about Karai and her accomplice. And besides, it's not my place to tell, so Leo's gonna have to talk to them eventually. "Come on, let's go back home." I walk past them.

"Amy, wait."

I sigh in boredom, turning to Leo. He looks really upset all of a sudden, and it's not from his recent fight with Raph...again. "Look, I'm sorry about what happened, I really am. It just...happened, you weren't meant to see that."

"See what?" Mikey asks in confusion and Raph covers his mouth, shaking his head.

"Yeah, I clearly wasn't. Listen, I just wanna relax in my bed, okay?" I turn around and start walking, but he steps in front of me.

"No, you're still upset. But look!" He pulls out a Celestial doll, waving it in my face. "I got you a vintage Celestial doll!" I just stare at him and so does everyone else. "A Celestial doll!"

"No thanks," I tell him politely.

"If it doesn't come in a box, doesn't that mean it's not vintage?" Donnie calls out and Leo turns to him sharply.

"No! No...a-and come on, it's got the laser blaster she had in the show and everything." He holds up the arm that has the blaster and it points a blue laser at a dumpster. "You can't be upset when it's got that!" He continues playing with it and I just look at him before I start walking again, the others walking past him. He gets in our way again, smiling as he points the laser at us.

"Please move," I say respectfully.

"Come on, Amy, I said I was sorry."

"I heard you," I reply, moving past him.

"Then stop being mad at me!"

"I'm not mad at you," I shrug slowly. "I'm done."

He scoffs nervously. "W-What is that supposed to mean?"

"I don't want anything to do with you anymore, Leo."

They all gasp in shock, the three turtles glancing at Leo. This needs to be said... "So you're gonna...move out?" Mikey whimpers in fear.

"No. It's where I live, and I guess Leo will just be a roommate until my mother is rescued from the Kraang, and that's all we'll be, roommates." Leo stares at me in disbelief and shock. "I'm done with you, Leo." And with that, I leave them with my words, holding my bag over my shoulder.

 **~Leo~**

I stare after Amy as my heart is breaking. She's...she's done with me? And she's not even joking, she sounded pretty serious about it. Does that mean...does that mean that she doesn't have feelings for me? This is all messed up, I wish she never saw me with Karai...and what was I thinking showing off to her like that? I'm such an idiot...

"Man, that's gotta hurt. I'm sorry, Leo," I feel Donnie place his hand on my shoulder. "I really thought you two would work this out."

 _I stood in a cherry blossom field, with a tree behind me as the petals fell. And then...Amy appeared behind me out of thin air. She stepped up to me slowly, with that same look on her face from when she saw Karai. And then just like that, she was gone as she vanished. I looked behind me, but I couldn't see her anymore. "Amy? Amy! Don't go! ...Don't go..."_

 _Karai appeared, leaning against the tree. I turned around and jumped to her, but she disappeared too. I'm all alone now..._

Now what do I do? Just move on like Amy's apparently done? There's no way I can forget my feelings for her...Amy's...a godsend, but how can I be with her now that she's done with me? And she's not even being rude or ignoring me or anything, she's being polite and treating me like a regular person...but in a different way...there's no kindness in her words. Is she really that fed up that she wants nothing to do with me?

* * *

Raph and I are sparing together after we've arrived home. "You knew the Foot Clan was watching us!"

"Not the Foot, Karai!"

"Karai IS the Foot!" We growl at each other as we lock weapons. "You knew she was watching with that crony of hers and all you did was show off. What about Amy's feelings, huh?! Do you even care about her?!"

I know he's trying to respect her feelings, but he's wrong. I do care about her. I...I'm in love in her...I roll on my back and kick him up. I get up to face him. "I was demonstrating how formidable we are. I knew they weren't going to attack us. And don't say that. Of course I care, Raph, but she won't even talk to me about it."

"Of course not," Raph circles me, "She's studying our moves for next time. You don't flirt with the enemy, Leo. You take 'em down. You don't understand, Amy is broken because of you. She's so sad that she won't even tell Mikey to spare him. She freezes things. Every night since then. But all you care about is showing off and holding hands with the enemy! If you keep this up, she's gonna shut us out. Do you really want that for us, you?"

"No, you're wrong about her! She has a good side!" I insist, but I didn't know about Amy. How does he know all these things about her? What else have I done to her? We lock weapons again as we glare at each other.

"Oh yeah? Well if that's what you're doing, why don't you go tell the others?"

"Because they wouldn't understand."

Raph pushes me to the wall and holds me there with his arm across my plastron. "You really think Donnie, Amy, and Mikey wouldn't understand?" He glances away for a moment. "You really think Donnie and Amy wouldn't understand?"

"Look! I know what I'm doing!" I don't want to hear any more. I don't want to hear Amy's suffering...because of me... I send Raph across the dojo with a palm-heel strike. He tackles me and starts punching my chest before I throw him off. "Yah!" I tackle him, putting him in a headlock. "You have to trust me."

"Why should I?!"

"What is going on in here?" Our master's stern voice comes from above and we look up to see him. We quickly rise to our feet. "Uh, nothing important." I glance at my brother. "Right, Raph?"

Raph crosses his arms, looking away. He sighs angrily. "Right." He shoulders me, walking away and I'm left about thinking about the brunette that's been on my mind since day one. I sigh wearily, running a hand down my face. When did things get so out of control...? This upsets me so much that we're torn up...

* * *

 **~Amy~**

I'm playing around with my shoe laces as April is doing something, I'm assuming homework. She's got two textbooks stacked underneath her laptop, while she has a paper and a test tube near her legs. She picks up a cotton swab and swabs her mouth. I take a sip of my lemonade that I made earlier.

"Whatcha doing, April?" Mikey asks curiously as he watches her in interest.

"Sending in a sample for a class project," She answers, sealing the swab into the test tube.

"You're mailing in your spit for a class project? Man, school sounds awesome!" He sits up and I glance at him in disbelief. Well, he is a mutant, so I can understand him wanting to live a normal life. What I don't understand is wanting to go to school.

"It isn't," April nods, turning to me. "You're so lucky you're homeschooled." I hum slightly, nodding my head. My mother decided to teach me at home since she's very confident that she can teach me all she needs to know. To be honest, I'm not looking forward to it when things are back to normal. I still wanna save her, but the schooling...nah.

"Yeah, more like..." I imitate snoring and Donnie chuckles. His expression then changes as he pats my shoulder.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine. Just hanging with my friends and roommate," I tell him and he hesitates, pulling his hand back.

"Well, I'd be awesome at it. Check this out," Mikey stands up, slurping in snot. Donnie goes over to him and covers his mouth.

"Don't," Donnie warns him and I hear Mikey swallow.

"It's not about spit. It's about the DNA," April explains and Mikey asks what that is, but It's muffled. Donnie releases his mouth.

"DNA, genetic code. You know, the building blocks of life?" Mikey just stares at him without blinking, confused. I would expect him to know what that is, since you know, everyone has DNA? "Okay, DNA is a microscopic blueprint that tells every living thing what to grow into and why am I still talking to you?" I facepalm with a sigh.

"I don't know," Mikey shrugs, "You'd think you'd have learned by now."

"Agreed," I murmur.

"Everyone in our class is sending a DNA sample to this research group, the Worldwide Genome Project," April speaks up and the two turtles sit down in front of her. "Then they'll send us back a report telling us about our ancestors. Neat, huh?"

"Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh," Mikey nods in agreement. "Wow, it's amazing what they can do these days..." He then starts laughing, shoving Donnie slightly. "Just kidding." April and I stare at him, April raising an eyebrow. I roll my eyes and Donnie elbows Mikey, glancing away. April cringes and I say nothing as I feel someone stand behind me.

"So...Amy," I hear Leo chuckle awkwardly as I take another sip of my drink. "I was thinking we could watch a Space Heroes movie tonight? I know we usually do Saturdays, but we could watch a Space Heroes movie if you want?"

"Actually, Mikey asked me to see a horror movie with him. Come on, Mikey," I stand up. I hate horror, but I'd rather watch that than Space Heroes tonight.

"Okay!" Mikey exclaims happily and Leo stands next to me.

"Amy, it's been days. When are you gonna stop being mad at me?"

"Leo, I told you that I'm not mad at you. I'm done with you," I say quietly as Mikey starts pulling me away.

"Amy," He replies in slight annoyance.

"I mean it!" I shout as the walls freeze, stopping everyone in their tracks. Leo's mouth opens in horror as I walk past Mikey to his room.

* * *

 **~Leo~**

I sigh angrily as I pace around. Nothing I try seems to work on Amy. I...I miss talking to her and doing Space Heroes stuff with her. If she's gonna be mad at me, then fine...oh, who am I kidding? She's important to me, I can't give that up. I look down at my hand, sighing. Man, she really is upset like Raph said...all I've been doing is hurting her and I can't even figure out how to get her to listen.

Maybe Raph's right about Karai. I yawn, as I need to get back to the lair. I needed some air after Amy snapped at me. I never saw her like that before...I should probably get back and try to talk to her again. I will get her to talk to me! Normally, that is. I won't give up on her.

I hear a thump and pull out my swords, turning around to see Karai, crouched like she was the first time I saw her...No! "How'd I know you'd show up?" I ask sarcastically.

She gets to her feet. "Cause you're not very good at hiding from me?"

"Like last night," I was unable to prevent my smirk. I can't help myself around her, she's playing me again.

"Oh, were you there? I didn't notice," She answers coyly. "I did see a bunch of robots though, what's their deal?"

"Their deal is they're incredibly dangerous. Stay away from them," I point my katana at her, as a warning.

"I like them already," I could just sense the grin from underneath her mask. "Something else is going on. What is it?"

"I'm not sure I should tell you. Raphael says I can't trust you."

"He makes a good point," She raises an eyebrow. She then flips into the air and lands in front of me, right leg bent and her left hand touching the rooftop. Her form is truly admirable, but I'm not in the mood for it. "So how's your friend doing? She didn't look too happy to see you."

"None of your business," I grit my teeth at her. She narrows her eyes at me.

"Eventually I am going to destroy you."

She grasps her tanto and runs towards me, unsheathing it. Our blades clash. "I don't think you are!" I accuse, because if she wanted to destroy me, she would've done it long ago.

She just laughs, "Really?" She twirls her sword from one hand to the other. "And what do you think THIS is?" She attacks and we end up on the edge of the roof.

"I think it's a cry for help." I know people will think I'm crazy, but it's just in my nature. I only want to change her mind, not because I like her. I want to show Amy that I'm serious with her and that she doesn't have to worry about Karai anymore... We exchange more blows. "I think you're looking for a way out of the Foot Clan. And I can help you."

She laughs again. "You're _adorable_. Stupid, but adorable."

I'm stunned at her sudden compliment. "R-Really? Y-You...you think I'm-yah!" She rushes in to strike while I was still stammering. She's doing it again, she's trying to toy with me. Why is she doing that if she knows about Amy? They did see each other.

She leaps from tower to tower. I watch her before I give chase, cutting her off at a large building. "You wanna play games? I can handle it. But I need your word that you will not attack my brothers or Amy."

"You know I can't do that. I already had someone attack her." We both yell, lunging at each other. Our swords cross and I snarl at her. She's already going after her? Why?

"Then understand this. You come after them, I'll come after you. Leave Amy alone. Hear me?!" I threaten. She slides her blade away from me and flips across to the edge of the roof. She pulls her mask away, looking at me with a smile.

"Loud and clear."

She puts the mask back on and jumps backwards off the roof. I run up to the roof to look at her, but she's already gone. I sheath my sword. At least she understands now. And now my priority is getting Amy to talk to me now that Karai's gonna leave her and my brothers alone. I have to make sure they're safe. All of them.

* * *

 **~Amy~**

Raph and I are walking to the kitchen together to have some breakfast when Leo starts walking next to me. "Hi Amy..."

"Hi Leo," I reply politely.

Raph glances at him, leaning his head. "So, are you gonna tell the guys about her?" He whispers to make sure no one can hear.

Leo turns to look at me. "No need. We...had a little chat and, uh, she's gonna leave us alone and her partner won't go after Amy anymore."

"Oh, right, because villains always back off when you ask them to," Raph says sarcastically. "Maybe I'll text the Kraang and ask them to stop mutating stuff. Wait a minute...someone attacked you?" He gives me a look. Okay, when did Leo know about this, because I did not tell him.

"I handled it," I whisper lowly to him. "Some guy named Jared attacked me in my apartment. He's in the Foot Clan too."

"So...how do you feel about that?" Leo asks me hopefully. I see what he's doing now, and I'm not having it. I'm just not in the mood to deal with this now.

"That's great for you," I shrug slowly. "I'm glad you two got to talk." I walk into the kitchen, pushing back the curtain.

"Okay, guys, what do you want: omelet pizza or pizza omelet?" Mikey turns to us as I'm sitting next to Donnie.

"What's the difference?" Raph wonders and he pulls out the eggs.

"Okay, you caught my bluff."

"Donnie, you're in my spot," Leo points to his brother.

"No he's not. I asked him to sit with me," I tell him, sipping some orange juice.

"What? But I've sat there since you came to live with us!"

"Yeah, but now he sits next to me."

"Um, I realize this is awkward," Donnie says nervously as they're all staring at us, and I don't care. Leo huffs slightly and our T-Phones ring. We pull them out. "Hey, did you guys just get a mass text from April?"

"Yeah."

"Mmhm."

"Yup."

"Well, does yours also say she's being attacked by an old lady?"

"Sure does."

"Mmhm."

"Yeah."

"That's what I'm seeing."

"Is that considered an emergency?" Donnie asks, as that's what the T-Phones are supposed to be used for when it comes to calling. It came into fruition after April ruined the moment with the Rat King. But then again, we could just put the T-Phones on vibrate...

"I guess," Leo shrugs, "Let's go!" We rush out of the lair.

* * *

We arrive at the school, Mikey's eyes shining. "Sweet. So this is what school is like." The alarm starts to go off, as there's no one else here. Raph pierces it with his sai, but it's still going. He stabs it some more and it turns off. We then see a lady standing in front of the trophy case with gray and black hair.

"Okay, I feel stupid," Raph comments.

"Ugh, April's gotta lear the T-Phones are for emergencies only," Leo remarks and the lady's head turns around to us without moving her body.

"A-A-April O'Neil?"

"Aw sewer bunnies," Raph replies as she's a robot. She makes her elbows into launchers and fires missiles at us. We jump out of the way, but we're knocked back by the explosion anyway.

"Leo, I think this does count as-"

"An emergency, I know!" Leo interrupts Mikey and we hear a yell. The woman jumps and the two turtles move out of the way as she breaks the stair railings. Raph leaps above her and she holds out her arm, capturing his sai with her hand. She spins him around in the air before she throws him on top of the trophy case. She opens up a folder and throws razor sharp paper, Raph just barely missing it. He jumps over to the ceiling, cutting off the ceiling lights. She jumps out of the way and the stairs break. She lands near the trophy case, moving like a spider before she stands up.

We land behind Leo. "Alright, guys. Let's put old Mother Hubbard back in her cupboard."

Mikey groans while Raph and Donnie shake their heads. "Huh? Huh?" Leo grins at me, expecting me to laugh.

"Dude, it literally hurts to listen to you sometimes," Raph tells him and Leo sags a little. I know I'm making this hard for him, but I'm tired of him chasing someone he can't trust. Karai's not exactly willing to leave the Foot, and I'm not exactly one to wait until he realizes it.

"Amy, when I say so, get rid of her weapons," He speaks up.

The robot fires her missiles at us again. Raph throws his shuriken, making them explode as Leo, Donnie, and I run forward. "Now!" I run ahead of them, spinning around twice. I fling my arms, firing two ice daggers and they lodge into her arms. Leo and Donnie jump towards her, cutting off her arms and her face, revealing the Kraang logo on them along with some wires. Leo turns around. "Mikey, the water fountain!"

"I know! School has everything!" Mikey cheers, gesturing to it.

"No! Spray her!" Leo yells.

"Oh," He does so and when the water hits her, she is electrocuted and shut down.

"April! Where are you?" Donnie calls out and she steps out of the janitor's closet. She kicks the head, pointing down at it.

"And stay down!"

"April," I whisper to her. "You know she's already down, right?"

"Shut up," She pushes me slightly in a playful way, both of us laughing. She then places her hand on Donnie's shoulder. "Thank you, guys." Donnie holds out his arms for a hug, but he doesn't get one. He stares at her before chuckling.

"You are so welcome," He ruffles her hair, looking embarrassed. I slap my forehead. Man, the one thing I told him not to do was be like that and he goes to do it anyway...

"So what the heck is that thing?" We look down at what was the robot.

"Looks like a...Kraangdroid, minus the Kraang," Leo notices as the wires are still moving around. In all the time that she's been down, no brain came out of her, not like a regular Kraang would when we take them down. There's not even a blue exo-suit that they would have or anything.

"She said she was from the Worldwide Genome Project," April explains.

"Whoa," Mikey turns around, holding the woman's face over his own. "How did the Kraang know you sent your DNA spit to the Worldwide thingamajig project?" Raph turns to him and screams, his eyes turning white as his mask tails fly up. He growls and there's a smack as the mask flies right past us.

"The Kraang must've hacked their system. Who knows what kind of info they could be stealing?" Donnie puts a hand to his chin.

"April," Leo places a hand on her shoulder. "You'd better head to the lair, where it's safe. We'll go check out the Worldwide Genome Project."

"But first, we gotta take down the Eastside High Panthers," Mikey's looking at a poster of the Roosevelt Vikings. "According to that poster, they've got it coming." We all just stare at him.

"I'll take April back and meet you guys there," I walk up to the entrance with April following me.

"Argh!" I hear a frustrated yell.

"Leo. Leo, what are you doing?" Donnie calls out. "Get back here."

"No!" Leo grabs my shoulder and turns me around to him. "Amy."

"What?" I growl at him, a little annoyed.

"Look, I'm sorry!"

"Leo-"

"No, let me finish," He narrows his eyes. "I'm an idiot, I know that now. Okay? I'm stupid."

"What do you mean?" I ask in confusion. When did I ever imply that he was being an idiot? Okay, maybe he was a little, but I never said that to him. I'd never say that to his face.

"I need you, okay? More than you could ever know. I-I need you way more than you need me. Alright? I'm sorry for what happened. I'm sorry that you had to see what you saw, I'm sorry that I hurt you, and I'm sorry that I'm probably the worst person you've ever met. And, you know, you deserve better than someone like me and you're probably better off without me and I just need you to understand that I...sorry, Amy. I'm sorry," He walks out the door, leaving us all shocked. I...can't believe he just did that...

"...Amy?" Donnie asks softly. "Do you...wanna go talk to him?"

I do want to...but he needs space and I need time to figure out what's gonna happen. "...No. No, guys."

And with that, I leave the school, Leo already gone.

* * *

April and I are walking down the tunnels, with silence the entire way. I made it clear that I didn't wanna talk about it. He...sounded really genuine, but can I really trust his words? After all, he was showing off to Karai of all people when I'm still mad at him—excuse me, before I cut him out of my life. But...would it really be so bad to let him back in?

"Well...we're here," April says slowly as we stand in front of the lair.

"Yeah..."

"...Amy?"

"Hm?" I murmur as I look at my T-Phone, seeing the directions to the Worldwide Genome Project, sent by Donnie.

"Are you gonna forgive Leo? I think you should, you saw how miserable he is."

"I don't know..." I sigh slowly, shaking my head. "I saw him with Karai, and...with her in the way, I'm not sure what's gonna happen. What if he ends up going back to her for...for something more? That's still a possibility. I'm not saying he shouldn't help her, I'm just saying that I don't want to be out of HIS life just so he'd try to help her. I'd be like a rebound if he ever realizes that he can't trust her. Not unless she changes my mind..."

"Amy, maybe you should talk to him and sort this all out. I'm sure that he still thinks of you," April pats my shoulder. "Just remember...he did help you, whether he has feelings for you or not. Just...don't make the wrong decision, okay?"

"Sure. Bye," I wave at her as I'm left with my thoughts...

* * *

I stand on top of the edge of a building near a water tower and jump, running across the buildings. I can't help but feel that someone's following me, though...I leap as I see the building in my sights and I can see the turtles waiting for me.

"It's about time," Raph mutters as I lift myself up to the roof, flipping and landing near them.

"Shut up," I glare slightly at him as I'm not in the mood for attitude.

"So how do we get in?" Raph glances at Donnie.

"Leave it to me," Donnie pulls out a device from his shell. "I've got an app for that." The other turtles groan and he places the device into the lock, about to use his T-Phone.

"I've got an app for that too," Raph leans in towards him, but I stop him, pulling out a pin from my hair.

"How about we go the less aggressive route?" I push past Donnie slightly and put the pin in the lock, jiggling it around until it opens.

"I knew she was good for something," Raph grins as he jerks a thumb at me. I throw a snowball at him from behind and the others laugh. I walk inside first as Mikey grins at Donnie, who looks annoyed at the simple solution.

As we run down the hall, there's logos of the Worldwide Genome Project on the walls, but they're pink. "You know, for a human lab, this place is awfully Kraang-y," Mikey points out.

"Guys, I think the Kraang ARE the Worldwide Genome Project," Leo whispers to us. We walk into a room where there's a huge amount of mutagen in the middle, which is attached to a system. Two Kraang are guarding it until we distract them. They turn around before Mikey leans in towards them.

"Booyakasha."

They point their guns at him but Donnie takes them down easily. Raph throws them into a closet and they slip out, screeching. "Now you two play nice in there," Raph points at them.

I grin and wave my hand, freezing the closet off so they can't escape. Ah, I love having magic hands...

"What are those?" Leo indicates the walls that have animals' pictures on them. A bat, octopus, cat, and more.

"Well it looks like they're collecting DNA from every plant and animal species on Earth," Donnie states.

"What?" Leo asks in confusion.

"Building blocks, dude," Mikey scoffs slightly. "I'll drop the science on you later."

"But why are they collecting it for?" I murmur as I look around. The Kraang have had no interest in collecting DNA from every plant and animal species, and what would April's own DNA have to do with this, along with all the kids involved in the project? Must be something big.

"Whatever it is, it can't be good," Leo declares, clenching his fists, but he looks a little discouraged. "Let's shut this place down."

Mikey looks around as we're suspiciously losing a member. "Hey, where's Raph?"

We hear a noise from above. "Gotcha!" Looking up, Raph pins down Karai and Jared.

"Karai!" Leo exclaims in shock.

"Jared?" I ask in surprise.

"Ka-who?" Donnie questions in confusion.

"Jared?" Mikey furrows a brow.

"Bet you two think you're pretty slick." Karai twists his arm and flips him around, Jared placing his foot on his plastron.

"We have our moments," Jared smirks and Karai looks at me.

"So you're the prestigious Amy we've heard about. You know my partner," She gestures to Jared and I snarl, clenching a fist. Raph flips to his feet and they begin fighting each other, clashing weapons together as the two ninjas are on opposite sides of the turtle. She pulls out a small knife and spins, kicking him away. He turns around to clash weapons with Jared, using his other hand to block Karai's tanto.

Leo steps up to them, glancing at me for just a second. "Raph, Karai, whoever you are! Stop it!" Leo rushes into stop the fighting.

"Okay, what the heck is going on here? How do they know them?" Donnie gestures to Raph and Leo.

"Yeah, and how do we know them?" Mikey glances at Donnie. "Wait, do we know them?"

"And Amy, you knew about them?" Donnie asks in shock and I turn to them.

"Yeah...I know I should've said something, but...it wasn't my place to tell, and...I have my own problems..." I mumble and they don't say anything else.

"So, this is the stuff that turns people into monsters, huh?" Karai asks as the trio are still going at it. "How's it work?"

"Why don't you both lean in a little closer, and I'll show you?" Raph threatens. Karai thrusts down his weapons, knocking him off the structure. The two jump after him and he looks up while gritting his teeth, holding his weapons. Before they can continue, Leo steps in between the three, blocking their weapons with his own.

"Enough! You're gonna set off..." Leo stumbles back and his hand lands on a button, setting off an alarm. "One of those..."

"Nice going, Leo," Raph glances at him, gesturing to Karai with his sai. "You're protecting her and letting him attack ice princess? What is wrong with you? They're bad news!"

"No she's not!" Leo insists and Karai leans in.

"Yeah, we are." They're rather...playful, aren't they?

"He attacked you?!" Donnie gestures to Jared in surprise.

"How many times is that going to be a topic today?!" I grunt in annoyance.

The Kraang soon come in to response from the alarm. They come in from the ceiling and from the door, surrounding us. "The ones who are not authorized by the authority of Kraang to exist in this place now be destroyed by Kraang in this place." We pull out our weapons.

"This day just keeps getting better," Karai and Jared say in unison.

They immediately start firing at us, the two Foot ninjas running towards the Kraang. They kick two down and Leo blocks a laser gun with his blades. "Look, see? They're on our side." Raph punches a Kraang away.

"Are you even listening to yourself right now?"

Jared and Karai run towards a trio of Kraang firing at them. "We like your brother, Leo." They leap over the trio, landing behind them. The torso of their bodies go down as they had sliced at the aliens. "He's almost as entertaining as you."

Raph turns to them as a robot hand is on one of his sai. "Oh, when this is over, I'll show you how entertaining I can be."

Reinforcements arrive with a laser cannon. There's at least a dozen of them. "Kraang is now arriving to provide the help that has been requested by Kraang."

"We're trapped!" Leo exclaims.

"No," Everyone, including the Kraang, turn to Karai and Jared. "You're trapped."

"What happens if we do this?" Jared grins widely as their fingers hover over a button.

"NO!" Raph shouts.

"Don't do that!" Leo yells.

"Highly undesirable outcome," A Kraang chimes in.

"Well, now we gotta," They push the button and all of the DNA that the Kraang have collected disappears. Mikey holds his head, girly screaming. All the mutagen disappears too as all the components combine into a rainbow of liquids. Everyone watches in horror as smoke comes out of the top of the container. Then a tentacle slips out and a Kraang disappears into the smoke. Two more are taken out and soon, all of them are gone. We look at...actually, I'm not sure what it is. It's got octopus legs, an armadillo shell for a face, cat eats, and I don't even know what animal eyes. It meows at us.

"Aww," Mikey coos as we stare at it. "He's so cute."

It suddenly grows bigger, opening its mouth and roaring at us. "How bout now?" I ask as I glance at Mikey. It raises a tentacle and we jump out of the way, with more Kraang firing lasers at the new mutant. Since it has a shell for a face, the mutant doesn't feel it at all and moves with speed so fast it could rival a blue hedgehog.

"Whoa! That is wicked!" Karai comments, Jared nodding.

"Totally."

"How the heck am I gonna name this?" Mikey gestures to it. Karai picks up half a droid body without a Kraang.

"Good question," She slings it over her shoulder. "Well, see ya." They both leap on the vat, then jump to the upper walkway that leads to the elevator and stairs. Jared pushes a button to open it.

"You're not gonna help us beat this thing?" Leo yells up at Karai while Raph is gritting his teeth. "It's both your fault!"

Jared hoists the droid body over Karai's back. "We'll let the heroes handle it," Jared salutes at him.

"I...I trusted you, Karai!"

"I know! That's messed up, right?" And with that, they escape. The mutant's eyes crack with electricity. The Kraang appear near Leo, firing at the creature. The tentacles smash them easily and Leo yelps, running away from the electricity shooting through the mutant's eyes.

The rest of us watch him for a few moments while Raph turns to his brothers. "So, guys, we all fans of Karai and Jared yet?" He didn't ask me because I wouldn't have answered regardless.

"I don't know who they are, but I know I hate 'em!" Donnie answers as we run away from the mutant, the Kraang still firing at him and not us for a change.

"Hey, look, Leo. The Kraang are on our side now," Raph grins at him, noticing it too.

"Save it," Leo glares at him. We take down the Kraang, but we could only run for so long. A tentacle grabs Raph by the leg, knocking him down and pulling the turtles towards it. Raph squeezes out of its hold.

"Nice try, Octo-punk!" He gets knocked away by a tentacle.

"No, no!" Mikey calls out. "Call him Octo-eyeball-jelly-bug!" He then sighs, sagging. "Eh...let's just call him Justin." He's suddenly knocked away by 'Justin.' Raph and Donnie are eventually defeated too and Leo looks at them.

"Raph's right. It is my fault." He lets out a sigh. "Amy...I get it. I should've told you about Karai. I...I can't tell you how sorry I am. So...please...don't move on from me. I..."

"Leo..." I place my hand on his shoulder. "...Can we not do this right now?!"

"Sorry, you're right," He smiles sheepishly, though I am curious as to what he would've said. Who knows...maybe I'll get a chance later...

Justin roars at us and we roar back, our eyes burning with rage. Justin actually looks surprised for once. We start running as the pink lightning is being fired at us and we separate, giving us more room to dodge it. We strike at it as hard and fast as we could. Leaping back and forth to avoid the octopus tentacles, we land a hit with each pass. A tentacle darts beneath us, throwing us into the air. We ride the two tentacles like a zipline, landing at the top of Justin's head. It lands sideways, hitting the floor. We only had a moment for the distraction, but it's enough time to get us to the control panel.

"Hey Justin!" Leo points his katana at him. "This ends now!"

It aims the electricity bolt at us, but I throw up my hands, capturing the line of target with two snowballs between my hands. I split the bolt into two, shocking Leo for a moment before he captures the other bolt with his katana. He brings his two katana together while I still have the first bolt. Leo yells as he stabs the console with his swords and I move my hands together, turning the snowballs into a dagger. I stab it inside and the electricity surges them all into the floor, including Justin's body. Leo pushes me away from the explosion and Justin escapes as he was on fire, disintegrating into a burst of smoke and flame.

"Ha!" Mikey exclaims as the others were awake. "Take that, Justin!"

The entire building shakes as the explosion is causing a fire to break out. "Come on, let's get out of here!" We run out of the burning building.

We're watching from a fire escape as we see the fire and smoke from the building. We could hear the sirens and there's silence.

"Soooo," Mikey speaks up.

"We're thinking _somebody_ should start talking," Donnie adds in. Leo closes his eyes, sighing.

* * *

Leo hangs his head as we're back in the lair, where he's telling everyone what happened. "I should've told you about Karai sooner, but I-I really thought there was a chance she would be good, and...I guess...I sort of...liked her."

I close my eyes, shaking my head as everybody watches him. Hearing him say that... He glances at us. "Go ahead. Laugh."

"Dude, I can't believe you trusted her," Mikey says, to my surprise. I wasn't expecting him to say that.

"I can't believe you didn't trust us enough to tell us," Donnie points out and Leo closes his eyes at that. "And you should've said something," He points at me.

"Guys, don't blame her," Leo speaks up with a sigh. "She respected my privacy, and...well...the reason why we were fighting is because...Amy saw me with Karai, and..."

"So that was the thing that made it complicated," Donnie murmurs to me, regarding our past conversation in the lab, and I nod. "...You had every right to be mad at him. I'm on Amy's side with this."

"Totally," Mikey raises a hand.

"Yup."

"I was already there."

"Thanks," I grin at their support.

"You guys!" Leo hisses at them and I giggle. Only slightly, though. "I was wrong. I'm really sorry."

"I tried to warn him," April sighs slightly with a shrug.

"You too, huh?" Raph asks her.

Splinter steps past them. "Leonardo, you are not the first young man, or turtle, to make a fool out of yourself over a girl. Even if another one is involved," He glances at me and Leo sinks a little in embarrassment. I just watch, as I wanna know where Splinter's going with this.

"What about Donnie?" Mikey wonders and Donnie smacks him on the arm, making me laugh as I pinch my nose to stop the tears from coming. Mikey wraps an arm around my shoulder as I feel him grin. If he did that to make me laugh or because he's oblivious, I'm glad he did it.

"However, when that girl is a kunoichi in the employ of your enemy, that is an error you cannot afford." Leo hangs his head.

"Hai, Sensei."

"Deception is the ninja's most powerful weapon, and it seems Karai and this Jared are masters."

"I know," Leo agrees.

"He said that Shredder would want you for your abilities?" Splinter glances at me and I nod in confirmation. "Very well. Amelia, you must be careful around them from this moment forward. You must be in even more in sync with your developing powers, should the Shredder exploit them for his own doing. That would be the last thing we would want."

"Hai, Master Splinter," I bow my head.

"We can't trust them, I see that now." Splinter places a hand on Leo's shoulder.

"Good. You must learn from your mistake."

"Thank you for understanding," Leo smiles at him as Splinter begins to walk away. "I'm glad you're not mad." Splinter looks at him sharply, narrowing his eyes.

"Who says I'm not mad?" He jabs Leo's right foot.

"OW!" He grabs his foot, hopping up and down as he falls over the rug, Splinter leaving us.

"...Yeah, I'm pretty sure he's still mad," I cringe as we look over him.

* * *

Later on, it's time for sleep as I'm walking to my room. "Hey Leo." I hear and I step into my room, peeking out at Leo and Raph. "I'm glad you came to your senses, bro."

Leo rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. "You were right. I don't know what I was thinking. I've already got a great girl that...well, you know."

I feel my face getting hot at his explanation. What does he mean by that...?

"I can see how you think Karai's hot..." Raph grins, crossing his arms. "In an...evil kind of way." I gag, pointing to my open mouth. Add that to the too much information part of my memory...

Leo chuckles at him. "Yeah, well, don't worry. I am SO over that. I'm actually gonna talk to Amy right now to sort this all out..."

Wait, what? He is?! Raph pats Leo's shoulder. Hopefully that means he'll stop crushing on her...I cover my mouth in shock, sliding down onto the ground. I'm so relieved...

 _Remember, Amy...when Leo said that...weren't you quite pleased? The girl who came between you is no longer a problem. But the moment Leo saw her on the rooftops, he tried to please her again. Whether she is a kunoichi of the Foot or not, Leo's heart belongs to Karai. Don't you feel bitter towards Leo still? Don't you hate them? It's okay to feel hatred, you are not wrong to hate them. Fill your heart with bitterness once more...and let me grasp your soul..._

I close my eyes as I can sense that my room is a snowstorm. I hide my face in my hands. I feel bitter towards Leo? I hate him and Karai? I guess I have every reason to, but...I just...can't.

I look up to see the ice melting. It's...it's wrong. What's being heard in my mind is completely wrong. Leo can't forget about Karai, and even if I can bring myself to accept this rationally, I still somewhat feel the pain and jealousy in my heart. However...bearing a grudge, a permanent one, towards Leo, and feeling jealousy towards Karai. Those...are normal feelings that anyone would have if they were dealing with my situation. And it doesn't mean I should feel angry towards either of them, or any negative feelings...even if Karai has questionable motives. This isn't even the first time I've had personal conflict with Leo, because I know how difficult all this is for me...with the new changes and my mother still being captured...

I sometimes wish Karai gone, but then I feel bad after...for harboring such things...I do believe that people can change. I know...all those feelings...they mean...they mean that I'm in love with Leo.

A knock interrupts my thoughts. "Amy?"

I gasp sharply and turn around, barely seeing him through the slightly opened door. "Can I...come in?"

"...Y-Yeah, yes," I stand up and let him inside. I take a quick glance-over as he walks in, sighing in relief when I don't see any ice. He stands there awkwardly and I shift around, wondering what he's gonna say...

"I know...that I was acting selfish...because of my intentions with Karai," He starts off and I nod. "And...I want you to know...that there is nothing going on between Karai and me. I swear."

"There...isn't?" I ask hopefully.

"No...and I understand why you were upset...and I wanna make it up to you. Amy...whether there's Karai or Jared or anything else...I wanna tell you this..."

He takes a hold of my hand, leaving me confused and a little bit scared, to be honest. "Leo...?"

"Amy...I'm...in love with you! I have been, ever since I met you...and there's a chance that I might've ruined all that, but I don't care anymore. I miss you. I miss spending time with you and I miss being around you. And I'm not just saying this because all of the stuff that happened with Karai, I...feel like there's something between us. And I know that you sense it too, and I don't want you to feel like I'm just leading you on with how I feel about you. When I said I hated you...I didn't mean it. I don't know why I even said it...when I feel the exact opposite. I care about you a lot. You're sweet...beautiful...and you like Space Heroes, which I never thought would happen. Please...Ames...I need you..."

My heart is pounding...he knows it too...He reaches out and touches my cheek. My body stiffens a little as his hand feels so warm. I feel like I'm about to cry at his words... "Please tell me that I still have a chance..." He whispers as he closes his eyes. "That's all I want...I know I was acting selfish, but...please forgive me...whether you return my feelings or not...it's always been you..."

"...Leo..."

"Go ahead...I'm ready..." He closes his eyes sadly, expecting the worst.

"I feel the same about you..."

His eyes widen as he looks at me, so surprised he almost took his hand off my cheek. "R-Really? You do?"

I nod slowly, smiling softly up at him. "Yes, and...I wanna make this work. I don't wanna feel angry anymore."

"I thought you said...you were done with me..."

"Let me finish," I sigh and he smiles sheepishly. "While I don't condone your actions...and you should've _said_ something," I give him a look. "I do trust you, and...I really like you. I never cared that you were a turtle, so...I forgive you...and I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to make you feel sad." I hug him and he returns it happily.

"This...this is so amazing, I didn't think you'd actually...!" He grasps my shoulders, eyes shining in delight. "We're going to all of the Space Heroes cons together, and we can have our marathons again and...!" He rambles on as I giggle.

Let's just hope that Karai and Jared can be persuaded...

 **Angel: For Leo's daydream, I took inspiration from Inuyasha. I heard about it a lot, but it was never really my thing until just recently. Though, with my busy schedule, I probably won't finish the series anytime soon XD Just look up Inuyasha Change the world on Youtube and press the second video, the one that has a minute and 36 seconds, you'll see what I'm talking about with Leo's dream.**


	16. The Pulverizer

**Angel: Officially on the finale now, but I have a final today...my second and last final out of five classes, wow XD So I have to post this now because I'll forget to do it later.**

Leo, Raph, Mikey, and I are sitting in the subway tunnels, waiting for Donnie. He said he had something to show us, but he's taking a while. I'm laying my head on Leo's lap, playing with the ends of my hair. After he confessed his feelings, we've been getting a little bit more intimate. We spend more time together than we have before, and sometimes we talk all night, whether it's about Space Heroes or something else. We've also told the others about us, that was something we did right away. Needless to say, they were happy, especially April and Mikey. We haven't kissed or gone out on a date yet, though...I think after the whole Karai and Jared...thing, Leo just wants to take things slow. And I'm perfectly fine with that, as long as they're not too slow.

Raph taps his foot against the platform, turning to us. "So, you two are official. It's about time."

Leo rolls his eyes as he kisses my forehead, making me smile. "At least we worked things out and we don't have to worry about anything anymore."

"True," I grin up at him. "Though, your deal with the toaster is atrocious."

Raph and Mikey both laugh, Leo huffing with a pout. Leo and the toaster...have a hate-hate relationship. That thing breaks down every time Leo's near it, which is why he sits so far away from it next to me. Or someone just hides it away after it's used...

Leo grins after Raph and Mikey are done laughing at him, stroking my hair. I hum in content, closing my eyes at his gentle touch.

"Ugh, what's taking so long?" Mikey complains. "Donnie knows I have a short atten-" He sees something and perks up. "Ooo, gum!" He picks it up, I kid you not, from the ground, and is about to eat it. Raph luckily steps in and slaps his arm, knocking the gum away.

"Man, this better be worth it."

Finally, we hear a noise and look to see a subway car. But this is nothing like a regular subway car. Its tires are mounted on an armature that slides up or down allowing it to be used on subway rails or roads. It is equipped with a cannon, a sewer lid launcher and bumper-mounted crushing jaws. It's also painted with some graffiti here and there. It slowly comes to a stop in front of us.

"Worth it," Raph comments quickly. There's a ding and Donnie opens the door. He leans against it, grinning.

"So?"

Leo and I stand up, walking to the vehicle while holding hands. "You turned Leatherhead's old subway into this?"

"It doesn't even look recognizable anymore," I murmur in awe. Donnie could do wonders when put to the test.

"Donnie, have I ever told you how awesome you are?" Raph asks.

"No, you haven't," Donnie states with a grin.

"Well, I'm seriously considering it," Raph tells him and Mikey examines it.

"What do you call this thing?" Leo wonders.

"Well,, it's a translaxed, multi-armored, electromagnetic-"

"The Shellraiser," Mikey interrupts, wiggling his fingers.

"What?" Donnie asks in confusion.

"The Shellraiser. It's the perfect name." We all glance to each other, as that name sounds awesome, and it's only natural that Mikey came up with it.

"That is the perfect name," Leo says, impressed.

"Of course it is, bro," Mikey gestures to himself. "You guys always underestimate me...except you," He points at me, winking. "Ooo, gum!" He dives straight for it.

"Mikey, dude, you gotta stop eating stuff off of the floor," I pull him up and Donnie walks inside first. We walk in, looking around in awe. We gather around Donnie, who presses a button from his computer. The lights near a power source start up, lighting up everything. An interface with a map moves near Mikey and a computer turns on near Raph. A station with not one, but TWO steering wheels lights up. There's the left side with a medium-sized steering wheel, and the right side seems to have more equipment, or least that's what I'm seeing. There's a map on the wall that's interactive like the other one in the back and there's a button on top of the steering wheel that's clearly marked on it. The engine starts up.

"Now, I've assigned everyone to a station based on your individual skill sets," Donnie explains as he's sitting in the Ops station, "I can't drive because my station's in the back, so-"

"Driver!" The other turtles exclaim in excitement. Leo lets go of my hand to have a fight with Raph and Mikey. Donnie and I glance at each other.

Donnie slams his staff between them all. "Leo AND Amy drive."

Leo smiles while Raph and Mikey glare at him slightly for an explanation. "Why?"

"They're least likely to hit something just for fun," Donnie points out. This leaves Mikey for navigation and weapons for Raph.

"True," The two turtles agree and an exclamation point appears besides my head as I turn to Donnie.

"Wait, what do you mean Leo and I drive?" I ask nervously and he smiles.

"Well, I couldn't find space for you, so you and Leo share a station, but you're our back-up," He gestures to Raph and Mikey. "I know that you're only staying with us until your mom is rescued, but come on! I couldn't pass this up!" He gives a gaptooth grin and gestures to the right of the driving station. "An extra map, extra screens so you can see outside in case Raph decides to fire at the weapons," Donnie gives his older brother a look. Raph looks away sheepishly, as he would do that. "And a computer in case something happens on my end." He presses a button from the right steering wheel and it disappears into the floor, exchanging it for a laptop in its place.

"Cool!" Raph, Leo, and Mikey exclaim in awe. I cringe nervously as Donnie presses a few buttons on the laptop, turning it back into the steering wheel.

"But I can't drive a car!"

"You did it with the Patrol Buggy," Raph points out.

"That was a buggy, not a real car," I rub my neck. Leo places his hand on top of mine.

"Relax, I'm sharing with you, so you'll be fine. I'll help you, Ames."

I blush slightly at him and nod. "I'll...try." I sit in the right seat.

"Both of you can control the wheels at the same time, or it can work with one of you if Amy's station is being used for something else. Whatever you want, it's all yours," Donnie pats my shoulder. Mikey and Raph sit down in their stations. Leo and I glance at each other.

"Do you want to or should I do it?" He offers and I bite my lip.

"Can...I try?"

"Of course," He kisses my cheek and I look around for a lever or something. "So, how do we get this baby going?"

Donnie appears on two screens, one above both of our eye sights. "Okay, just ease the throttle forward ever so sli-" I do so, but it's way more force than it's supposed to be.

"Whoo! What is powering this thing?" Raph asks in excitement.

"The Kraang power cell we got from Leatherhead," Donnie explains with a smile. I sigh in relief that I didn't cause it, because I am really nervous about this.

"I thought you said that was dangerous, like the Kraang could track it," Leo speaks up.

"That's why I put it under a lead glass shield," Donnie gestures to something away from him. Probably what I saw on the floor. "Now I can regulate the output and prevent the Kraang from detecting its signal."

I smile at him. "That's really smart, Donnie."

He smiles back, chuckling slightly at the praise. "Thanks, Ames."

"Excuse me?" Leo looks annoyed as his mouth is a thin line. "Only I call her that."

"Leo," I give him a look to stop. Donnie sinks in his chair, sweating nervously.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry."

"I hate to interrupt, but dead end!" Mikey points to something, Leo and I seeing the mentioned dead end.

"Uh, Donnie, how do we stop this thing?" Leo calls out.

"Don't!"

"What?!" We both exclaim in shock.

"Trust me!"

"I swear, Donnie, if we don't live, I will..."

The others scream, but then we're suddenly transported to outside. The wheels move so that they're on the bottom.

"You will what?" Donnie asks smugly.

"Nevermind."

"Donnie, you're awesome!" Raph declares as I turn left.

* * *

As I continue driving down the road, Mikey hums to himself.

"This thing have a stereo?"

"What good would this thing be without some tunes? Another thing I did for Amy so she feels included." Donnie presses a button and some classical music comes on.

"Are you serious?" Raph questions and I groan.

"I appreciate the thought, but classical music? Disapprove," I deadpan and Leo turns to me.

"You don't like classical music?"

"No, I'd be my mother if I did," I reply and he snorts.

"Check out the second movement, then," Donnie presses another button and some rock music comes on. Leo slowly smiles as I grin, as I like this beat.

"You like heavy metal?"

"Yeah!" I giggle at him over the music.

"Allow me," Leo winks at me and he takes control. He presses on the gas and we all cheer as we speed through the streets. Mikey jumps onto his chair as Leo laughs. The engine revs up, causing us to tilt slightly into the air. The other turtles cheer, holding onto a string from above. Leo starts to play around, doing a donut in the street. The rest of us are cheering while I'm clapping in excitement. Leo turns left and Raph decides to go up to the rooftop through the retractable top cannon. We then hear him pounding on the roof.

"Guys, pull over!"

Leo does so and we look at the screens as the Purple Dragons are out again.

"Purple Dragons?" Leo chuckles, "This night keeps getting better and better."

"Oh yeah," Raph agrees, grinning, "It's like candy for my knuckles," Raph cracks them as Donnie and Mikey join us. "And tonight's Halloween."

"Oh, wait a minute," Donnie points to the screen. "Who's that?" He's pointing to something in the shadows, I can't see clearly.

"Excuse me, boys," the stranger speaks up. "I think you forgot to pay for that. But don't worry, I accept cash, check, or teeth."

"Huh, that was a pretty good line," Leo comments and I nod in agreement.

"You should take notes," I grin at Leo and he whines.

"Don't say that out loud, Ames!" The others laugh and I smile sheepishly. Leo takes a hold of my hand anyway, so he's not too mad...I think.

"What are you gonna do?" Fong asks, as one of them drops the case they were stealing. "There's one of you and three of us."

"Oh, you wanna call a couple of friends, make it even?" He jumps down from his spot.

"This guy's got guts," Raph remarks, and I'm inclined to agree with him. This guy's got good banter lines.

He steps closer to the Purple Dragons. "It's time to face the wrath of...The Pulverizer!"

Mikey giggles in excitement. "This is gonna be great."

Pulverizer kicks the air weakly. "Judo!" He punches the air. "Punch Punch!" He then does a signature pose. I...don't know what that was, or even if he's actually a fighter, but that just happened. He may have the talk, but he doesn't have the actual skills to back it up.

"Or...not," Leo says and the Purple Dragons start to beat the shell out of him.

"Ooo," We look away as he's getting beat up. I peek between my hands.

"Oh, the Pulverizer's getting just...well, I don't know the word, but, we gotta help him!" Mikey states.

Fong punches his hands together as Pulverizer looks worried. Leo appears behind him. "How do you like the odds now, Fong?" We surround the Purple Dragons.

"Whoa, the turtles!" He looks up at them with a smile and he gets hearts in his eyes at me. "And Amy...~"

I dart my eyes at Leo and then at him. Why do I feel creeped out?

"How does he know who we-" Fong punches Donnie and he lands on the ground, Sid jumping towards him. Donnie quickly moves his head out of the way so Sid punches the floor and kicks the member off of him. He heads towards me and I smirk with a slight chuckle under my breath. I grab him by the collar and jump up into the air, throwing him to the ground. He rolls over to Pulverizer, who hits him in the stomach.

"Oh, nice combo, you two. High five!" He holds out a hand and I look at him in annoyance. Hearts come out of his head. "She looked at me!" Sid grabs his arm and throws him towards Donnie while Mikey deals with Sid. Leo kicks Fong before Tsoi grabs onto him. Fong grabs the case and runs off. I tap Tsoi on the shoulder and he turns around. I throw him to Raph. Mikey dodges a punch from Sid, focusing on Fong.

"Oh no he don't!" He throws his chain.

"I got him!" Pulverizer chases after Fong, but gets caught in Mikey's chain, tripping onto the ground while Fong escapes. "Aw dang, almost had him."

"Not cool, man," Mikey spins his chain around, releasing Pulverizer. Sid and Tsoi leave as police sirens are not too far away.

"Cops!" Leo runs down the alley to the Shellraiser. "We gotta go!"

"Oh, hey, uh, great teamwork, guys!" Pulverizer calls out as he follows us and I grunt. He's like a puppy dog...

Raph stays behind to deal with him while the rest of us step inside. "Look, I don't know who you think you are, or what you think you're doing, but don't," Raph warns him.

"Yeah, maybe sometime we can get together, and-" Raph turns him around and closes the door on him. I start up the car and Leo drives, Donnie putting the rock music back on. I couldn't help but feel that I can hear something from outside...

"You guys hear something?" Leo questions and I shake my head.

"No, I don't think so," I deny and I don't see anything outside anyway. We return to the subway tunnels and the door opens, Donnie looking outside.

"We got a problem."

Leo peeks out first. "What the-?" I look past him to see the Pulverizer lying down on the floor.

"How did he _get_ here?!" I ask in shock.

"Are you okay?" Donnie helps up the fanboy.

"Oh, sure. Y-You can survive with just one kidney, right?" He questions wearily as Raph and Mikey step out of the Shellraiser.

"Great, first this doofus gets in the way of a good Purple Dragon stomping, and now he knows where our lair is?" Raph asks irritably, crossing his arms.

"Oh, no problem. I blacked out most of the way here," Pulverizer holds up a finger and I stand next to Leo. He sees me and screams loudly, making me cover my ears. The turtles all cringe.

"Ow! What the heck, man?" I demand as he could've made my ears bleed, it was THAT loud. He kneels in front of me, holding a book and pen out to me.

"It's you! It's really you! Can I have your autograph? I'm your biggest fan!" He says happily, smiling up at me. "Or maybe a selfie? No wait, even better, a napkin!"

I groan, the others except Leo smirking in amusement. "I think you shattered my eardrums..." I murmur quietly and Donnie stands up.

"How do you even know we exist?" He answers the question that probably all of us are wondering. I pick at my ears.

"Oh, I saw you months ago," Pulverizer explains, looking at Leo. "You were like let's finish this!"

He turns to Raph. "Oh, and you were like you're all going down!" He turns his attention to Mikey.

"Oh, and you were, like, all, beeees!" He chuckles, pointing to Donnie.

"Oh, and you were like..." He tries to come up with something. "You were like the strong silent type."

I gasp at him as I know what he means. He's talking about when we were fighting the Stockman-pod! I can't believe he saw us from his window...He grabs my hand, kneeling in front of me. I dart my eyes around, as I feel uncomfortable for where this is going. If he legit proposes to me..."You...you were amazing," He has hearts in his eyes and Leo pulls me away from him with a growl, clenching his fist. I can hear the other turtles snickering.

"Dudes, dudette, we have a stalker," Mikey whispers to us.

"You're telling me," I murmur as I wipe my hand on my skirt. If I could, I'd cut off my hand.

"You inspired me to become a hero. I saw you guys, and I thought, what have they got that I haven't got?"

Is he for real? "Years of training under a grand master of ninjutsu? Or even months?" Donnie glances at me.

"No, an awesome costume! Where'd you get yours, by the way?" He points to the turtles' bodies.

"Uh, we are not wearing costumes," Donnie points out. "We're mutants."

"Riiiight," Pulverizer leans in as if that was something secret. He blinks in confusion and pokes Mikey's arm and shell. "Cool," He laughs in amazement. "How do I do that? Or get a cute girl with a sword like you?" He winks at me and I narrow my eyes, not amused. And I can tell that someone else isn't either.

"Leo, put your swords down," I glance at Leo as he's gripping the hilts of his swords with flame eyes instead of his pupils.

"But Ames-" He protests as his eyes turn to normal and I stop him, leaning towards his ear.

"Later," I whisper, kissing his cheek. He smiles and the hearts around Pulverizer break into two.

"You two are...dating?! But-But I customized my belt to look like yours," He shows the exact same belt that I have. "I even have a picture of you that I made into a poster!" He holds up a large poster of me, which is surrounded by hearts and his handwriting. "We were gonna be Amerizer! Or another ship name I can't think of right now! ...I'll find one eventually."

My eyes twitch in horror while Mikey, Donnie, and Raph are laughing. "Where...did you even get this?" I ask slowly in confusion. He sinks to his knees, a look of disappointment and sadness of his face.

"Noooo!"

I roll my eyes at his immaturity before he looks up. Leo shakes his head at him. "Then I guess I will have to love you from afar, my fair maiden," He takes my hand, trying to kiss it before I snatch it away, my eyes widening as I hide behind Leo.

"Oh god, fair maiden," Raph wipes away a tear from his face, Mikey and Donnie laughing harder as they fall to the floor. "You're killing me here, man."

"Yeah, you gonna give him a lock of your hair, Amy?" Donnie teases and I glare at them so fiercely, it makes them shut up. Pulverizer just looks confused by the whole thing.

"My maiden, I-"

Raph points at his plastron from his costume. "You, stop talking," He turns to us, jerking a thumb at the fanboy. "We gotta get him out of here."

"Whoa," We hear, Mikey's eyes widening as we turn to the lair. "This place is amazing! What's with all the pizza boxes?"

I facepalm, as I stopped bothering to pick them up a while ago...one minute they're gone and the next, there's the exact same mess. I know they're boys, but I would rather live in a clean home. I'm not OCD, but...still.

"No way, what's this closed flower for?"

My eyes widen as we see him touching my doll my mother gave to me. He tosses it, tinkering with Metalhead. Donnie leaps and lands on the floor as he catches it and I sigh in relief. "Hey, don't touch that."

"And don't go into my room," I flare up my nostrils as I keep that doll in there for personal reasons.

"Hey, what's this?" Pulverizer takes a Kraang device Donnie took a while ago. Donnie rolls his eyes and snatches it away. "That looks like the stuff those guys were stealing."

"That's impossible," Donnie denies, turning to us. "It's Kraang tech."

"What-What's a Kraang?" Pulverizer questions in confusion.

"If we told you, we'd have to kill you," Raph says before he grins, leaning in. "You see, the Kraang are aliens from another dimension."

Leo elbows him to keep him from talking further. Pulverizer touches the bow in my hair. It's a green bow that Raph gave to me not too long ago to hold up my hair. "Did LEO give this to you?"

I smack his hand away. "That's none of your business, stop touching it!"

"Ooo, you look so cute when you're mad!" He grins and steam comes out of my head as my lips are a thin line.

Leo seems to be thinking to himself. "Wait, why would the Purple Dimwits want Kraang robotics? It's not like they know what to do with it."

"Yeah, Kraang technology is too advanced for stupid punks like the Purple Dragons," I agree with him. Pulverizer stares at me, smiling widely.

"You're so smart..." I push his face away, scoffing. "She touched me!"

"Unless they're stealing it for someone else," Raph guesses.

"Well, who do we know that would be interested in stolen evil robot parts?" Donnie puts a hand to his chin as we all know the answer.

"Baxter Stockman."

"Donatello."

We stare at Mikey. Okay, everyone except him knew the answer. "Baxter Stockman," He corrects himself, smiling.

"We'll check it out. Ames and Donnie, fix the Shellraiser and take Captain Rubberpants home," He leans in and kisses my cheek, leaving with the others.

"What?! You're leaving me with _him_?!" I gesture to Pulverizer in shock. Um, I thought he, I don't know, confessed his feelings to me not too long ago? Why is he torturing me?

"Yes, because I trust you and you can't hurt me because you like me!" Leo calls out quickly and I grunt in defeat.

"What? Wait! Why do we have to-"

"I get to spend time with you? This...is a dream come true!" Pulverizer puts his arm around me. "Finally we won't have anything standing between our love." I grab his arm and throw him into a wall, where Donnie didn't have anything lying around. "That's a strong arm you've got there..." He says in pain.

Donnie rolls his eyes, shaking his head as I pinch my nose with a sigh. "Leo, you better be right," I mutter to myself, "Or else I'll kick your shell! Whether I like you or not."

* * *

I file my nails in boredom as Donnie is wearing a pair of goggles over his face, Pulverizer messing around with his staff. We're both sitting on top of the Shellraiser, my legs crossed. "So, how are things going with you and Leo?" Donnie smiles slightly at me. I know he's a little disappointed, since April's made no indication that she likes him, but...well, what else could I do? It's not like I can talk to her about it, because then I'd have to tell her that he likes her, breaking his trust.

"They're great," I return the smile. "I feel so relieved that we can express our feelings for each other now..."

"He looks so happy, and I can tell he really likes you," Donnie says with a small sigh. "I'll have that eventually...I hope."

I pat his shell in comfort before I hear a chuckle. "Wicked staff," Pulverizer says in awe.

"Put that down," Donnie warns him without stopping what he's doing. He feels around for something that he's missing and I hand him a wrench without looking. I've been helping him some nights, so I have a good sense of what tools he needs for specific projects.

"Hey Amy, check out my sweet moves~" I hear, chuckling. Rolling my eyes, I continue with my nails.

"No thanks, now put the staff down," I reply in annoyance.

"No, let me show you this one thing."

I groan and lean in towards Donnie. "Why are we doing this again?"

"Trust me, I don't like this as much as you do," He whispers to me.

Then I hear something rolling towards us and Donnie puts his hand in front of me, catching the staff that had flown out of Pulverizer's hands. He removes his goggles. "Look, we're busy here." He lets out a sigh and we both jump down from the Shellraiser. "If you must play with the staff, and apparently, you must, try this." He does a simple spin. "Okay, you see what I'm doing? Slowly, keep your hands near your center, switch sides." He continues spinning it, Pulverizer fanboying. "Smooth. Fluid, right?"

He hands the staff to Pulverizer and he starts doing the same thing that Donnie just did. Not as fast, but not bad either.

"Okay, not bad," Donnie chuckles slightly as we stare.

"Oh yeah." He eventually hits himself in the head with it. "Ow!" He gives us a thumbs up. "I got it!"

Donnie and I glance at each other. "What? You think you can just put a sword under your pillow and wake up a samurai? You've gotta practice. It takes more than a cheesy costume to be a hero," Donnie points at him.

"Yeah, man. You can't just dive straight in, this stuff doesn't just happen right away. There's something in there that needs a _lot_ of work," I sip my water bottle.

"Pretty sweet, huh? Check out the muscles," He points to his chest.

"What?" Donnie asks in confusion and he unzips himself, Donnie looking horrified. I turn around and choke on my water, looking away. Oh god, that is something I definitely want to unsee for the rest of my teenage life.

"Foam rubber. Pretty cool, huh?"

"Not really," I wheeze, Leo's gonna need to juice up the chocolate tonight. He zips himself up.

"Way faster than working out," He leans towards Donnie and they both back away. "I wanna be a hero now. I don't have time for the basics. Show me the good stuff."

Donnie sighs, glancing at me. I close my eyes, shaking my head. Can't believe I'm about to do this... "Okay, one more," I take the staff from Pulverizer, which is way taller than me. He gasps in awe.

"Amy? Teaching me? Oh, this is the best day ever!"

I groan as I close my eyes. "Why me of all people?"

Donnie snickers, "It's still funny." I elbow him in the arm, standing in front of them. I spin the staff, jabbing the air before I spin it above my head. I jab again, doing some complicated moves. "Jab. Block. Step. Sweep. Twirl. Backflip. Strike."

Donnie blinks before clapping and I walk back to the two. I've done some weapons training with the turtles' weapons that Splinter had lying around, so I'm fairly good with them like I did with the staff just now. I hold out the weapon to Pulverizer.

"She touched the staff!" Pulverizer snatches it, mouth opening wide as he drools. Donnie looks disgusted while I cross my arms. "I'm never washing this hand again. Okay, got it." He jabs the air. "Jab!" He presses the button that lets out Donnie's blade, which narrowly misses his head. He screams and falls onto the ground, dropping the staff.

"And that's why we start with the basics," Donnie states, both of us fist-bumping each other and wiggling our fingers with a laugh.

* * *

And so we decided to train him, so that he can properly defend himself and not look like an idiot. Donnie punches at the punching dummy twice. I kick it twice, palm-striking it before I turn to Pulverizer. He punches it three times before he misses, hitting the pole with his body. He holds onto the dummy, which spins around before he crashes into Donnie.

We get to more defense exercises, Donnie kicking the air twice and punching the air. I punch the air three times back and forth, doing a kick flip. He moves around and doesn't even come close, standing at the edge above the pool. He gives us a thumbs up, but his balance causes him to fall into the pool anyway. Donnie shakes his head while I rub a temple with a sigh.

Donnie's showing Pulverizer a chart of hit points while I'm showing him how his form should look. He seems to be writing this down, which is a good thing. He taps his pencil against his chin. He writes something down and we gesture for him to show us. He holds up a picture of himself with buff muscles and a mask. I throw an ice dagger at him and it pierces against the wall. He smiles sheepishly at me, backing away nervously.

Later on, Donnie bends down and touches the floor, since his shell would look weird if he touched his toes. I bend down and touch my toes, Pulverizer barely able to get there. I count them off as they're doing sit-ups, Pulverizer barely lifting his body. I also count them off while Donnie does push-ups, Pulverizer doing them on his knees. Donnie stops as we look at him, Pulverizer smiling widely. I count them off while they're doing squats, but Pulverizer gives up after only doing one. Donnie gestures to the floor, doing a roll. I also do one so that he can see it again. He runs and does one, actually not bad that time. Donnie and I do one in unison. He continues rolling, but he's going too far.

"No, stop!" Donnie calls out, holding a hand.

"You're headed for..." I don't get to finish my sentence as he doesn't stop. Instead, he rolls into Splinter's room and we cringe as there's a crash from inside.

"Splinter's room," We finish nervously.

"Amelia, Donatello," Splinter calls out as he steps into the dojo, holding up Pulverizer. "Does this belong to either of you?"

"Sensei, Pulverizer," I start off.

"Pulverizer, Sensei," Donnie finishes and I can tell Splinter looks angry as he's frowning.

"Pleased to meet you," Pulverizer waves at him before whispering to us. "Hey, does he know he's a rat?"

Splinter drops him. "He knows."

"We're sorry, Sensei, we found him on the street, trying to fight the Purple Dragons," Donnie puts a hand to his neck. "And he accidentally wound up back in the lair."

"Yeah, so we thought we'd try to teach him a few basics-"Pulverizer stands in front of me.

"Yeah, and they're doing a great job. Especially Amy~" He swoons at my name, Splinter looking baffled. "Check this out." He does a pose while yelling, karate chopping the air and doing stuff that is definitely not what we taught him. I have no idea if he's just spitballing or if he really thinks that he's that good...which he's not.

"Apparently, you have not taught him shame or manners," He glances at me and I smile nervously. "Especially in his...pursuit of Amelia. May I speak with the two of you for a moment?"

"Hai, Sensei," We say in unison. He leads us away as Pulverizer is still 'practicing.'

"Amelia, Donatello, he has no business learning our art. He is..." We turn to Pulverizer, who is kissing his picture of me. He giggles awkwardly, waving at us before he drops the picture over his head. I laugh uncomfortably, waving at him slowly. "A doofus." I lean in towards the two.

"Remind me to destroy that photo," I whisper lowly.

"Hai, Sensei, but he's gonna put himself at risk no matter what we do, so we just wanna teach him enough so he doesn't get creamed," Donnie speaks up.

"Yeah, he really wants to become a hero, make something of himself. He might be a little weird and...creepy, but he's not that bad...yet. You have to admit, you can't help but pity him, that's how bad he is at this..."

Splinter sighs in defeat, shaking his head. "You may, but if you both train him, you are both responsible for whatever happens." We hear something behind us, turning around to see that Pulverizer has gotten Donnie's staff stuck in the wall. He pulls it out, crashing into the floor.

"Ow."

"Good luck," Splinter places his hands on our shoulders. He leans in towards me. "Amelia, if you ever have feelings for him, I will be genuinely concerned. He seems to be very...vocal of his feelings."

"Okay, you don't have to keep saying it, gross," I tell him, holding up my hands to stop him from saying anything else.

"Do not think you have feelings for him or how much you would want to kiss him."

"Sensei!" I whine, covering my ears.

"And please, do not leave my son for how silly he is."

"I can't listen to this," I murmur as I walk away, Splinter and Donnie chuckling. When will this nightmare end?

* * *

We continue on with Pulverizer's training. He runs up to Donnie and sits down on the rug, planting his legs so that they're surrounding Donnie's. I'm sitting up in the trees so that I'm not as close to him. I do not need Sensei thinking that I'm gonna fall in love with him. That is the last thing I would want for myself or the others. I gag at the thought, snapping out of it.

"Put your left leg up there," He wraps his left leg around the knees. "Right leg down here," He lays his right leg across Donnie's legs. "Twist your hips. And down he goes."

Nothing happens, though. His legs are probably tired from all the exercising. Donnie places his hands on his hips, waiting. "And down I go." Still nothing. Donnie looks at me and we chuckle. "And down I-" He falls down and I laugh at him. This is payback for laughing at me earlier, and I didn't even have to do anything. Ahh, karma is awesome.

"Yes! I did it!" Pulverizer cheers and as they stand up, Donnie's phone rings and so does mine. "When do I get my black belt so I can show you my sweet moves again?" He smiles up at me. We stare at him as I slide down the tree, taking out my phone.

Both the turtle and I pick up at the same time. "Donatello."

"Amy here."

"GUYS!" Mikey shouts into the phone. "We need help! Raph's been bitten by a giant poisonous robotic fish!"

"You heard the same thing I did, right?" I turn to Donnie, who nods.

"That's not possible. If he was bitten, it was venom, not poison," Donnie explains.

"Yeah, it's like with snakes, their fangs will tear from their mouths and into the wound," I state, holding up a finger as I place my hand on my hip.

"Interesting, interesting. _Get over here_!"

Donnie places some beakers, gauze, bandages, and a beaker inside a toolbox marked 'Donnie's box. Mikey, do not touch!' "Hey, do you know how to drive? I need Amy to help me find out the specifics with Raph."

Pulverizer scoffs, "You kidding? I've been driving an ice cream truck all summer!"

* * *

What he didn't mention is that he's terrible at driving. "Whoa, watch out!" Donnie shouts as he sharply turns left, bumping us up and down and into stuff. We both have to hold onto something, that's how bad it is. "I thought you said you knew how to drive!"

He swerves out of the way past a moving car. "I usually don't go over 8 miles an hour."

"That would've been nice to know before you agreed to it!" I yell in slight frustration as Donnie kneels down.

"Just try to hold it steady, okay? I gotta mix this antidote for Raph," Donnie sits down and I place my T-Phone on speaker.

"What's the symptoms?"

"He keeps telling me I'm the smartest guy he knows."

Donnie and I stifle a laugh. "Okay, okay, he's delusional," He attempts to mix something from a test tube into the beaker, but Pulverizer swerves around. Donnie drops the liquid in quickly and I turn sharply to Pulverizer.

"You better hope that I don't come over there!" I turn back to my phone. "How's his color?"

"Green, dudette, and I mean way more than usual."

Donnie bumps his head and I glare at the fanboy. I would help him, but I don't want to sit next to him just to drive... Donnie rolls around, sliding to Raph's station before he bumps his head again. I grip onto Donnie's station as hard as I can. "Does he have any nausea?"

"Nah, he doesn't have any..." I hear throwing up as Donnie concentrates. I stick my tongue out in disgust, my eyes like X's. "No, check that. Ah, what the—I knew you ate my pizza! You liar!"

Donnie continues while the route was being shown to Pulverizer on one of the screens above him. Luckily he's not in my spot, because then he'd really freak out. "W-What's that dot again?"

I sigh in frustration, turning to him. "Just take a right!"

"Donnie, Amy, get here now!" Mikey urges and Donnie is finished, both of us standing next to Pulverizer. An alarm beeps as there's a roadblock approaching us.

"The road's blocked. We gotta go around."

"No time to go around, you gotta jump it," Donnie tells him, as trying to find another path would take longer.

"What?" Pulverizer asks in confusion.

"You said you wanted to be a hero, right? Well, jump it!" I tell him.

"Yeah, uh, about the hero thing-" Donnie steps on the gas.

"Jump. It!" We repeat and a construction man runs out of the way as we jump across the road block. We crash through the wall. I fire the garbage cannon, firing a trash ball at a mutant fish with robotic legs. We all run out of the Shellraiser to Raph.

"Raph, you still with us, buddy?"

"Donnie?" Raph turns to him, with colored eyes that indicate he's on something.

"Yeah, Raph?"

"Why are there fingers on my feet?"

I cover my mouth, trying not to laugh. To be fair, they do look like fingers a little...

"Hang in there, buddy, you'll be okay," Donnie takes out a shot booster and injects Raph with it. His eyes turn back to normal.

"Thanks, magical unicorn and ice princess."

Man, even when he's out of it, he still calls me ice princess? "That was awesome!" Pulverizer cheers as Donnie and I help him stand up. "We saved him!"

Leo stands next to me and holds my hand. "You okay? I don't need to hurt him, do I?"

"Not more than you were going to, no," I giggle at him and he sighs in relief, hugging me.

"We saved him?" Donnie asks in disbelief. "You wanted to stop and sell ice cream! If we hadn't jumped and smashed through that wall-"

"Uh, Donnie, is the Shellraiser supposed to do that?" Mikey jerks a thumb at our vehicle, which has pink electricity surrounding. We run inside to see that the lead glass case is cracked.

"It's cracked. This is bad. The Kraang can detect that energy signal. We gotta get back underground before they come looking for the power cell!"

* * *

We take off, but we are immediately stopped by five vans and a helicopter. Leo pulls the lever and the two vans move out of the way, chasing after us. One of them immediately starts firing to the back of the vehicle.

"Hold her steady, guys," Raph calls out. "I'll take care of these jokers." The back doors open as Raph's chair turns around, his cannon turning into a manhole cover launcher. He smirks as he fires them and we hear a thud on the roof. Leo and I look up to see that Kraang are on top of the Shellraiser.

"Guys," We turn to Mikey and Donnie on our screens. "The Kraang are on the roof!"

Mikey and Donnie jump onto the roof to deal with it. Leo and I continue driving, only to hear shouting. "Dudette, Leo, Kraang can fly, Kraang can fllllllllllllllly!"

I cringe at Leo as we watch them fight. "Wow, no one told me there were robot aliens!" Pulverizer exclaims and I roll my eyes.

"Why would we tell you?" Leo asks as I flip some switches. The bumper jaws separate, snapping. We crash into the Kraang in front of us, leaving behind dismantled robot bodies. Suddenly another van drives in front of us and we have to swerve out of the way. Unfortunately, we're heading towards a wall! I try to move out of the way, but it's too late as we crash. The Kraang surround us, but Leo jumps out from the roof, knocking down one. We step out from the roof and jump into the fight. Leo runs, taking out Kraang along the way when he sees one Kraang running away from the Shellraiser. "He's got the cell!"

"I'll stop him!" Pulverizer chases after him while Donnie's fending himself off from a Kraang.

"Pulverizer, no!" Donnie calls out.

"Stop, we'll handle it!" I shout as I slice a Kraang in half, surrounded by two other Kraang.

"I can do this!" Pulverizer insists as he doesn't stop. The helicopter lands in front of the lone Kraang with the power cell.

"You really can't!" Pulverizer slides and grabs the Kraang's legs with his, but since they're made of metal, he doesn't knock the alien down. He looks up as the Kraang grabs him, throwing him to the entrance of an apothecary shop. Two surround him, Donnie and I glancing at the Kraang who's about to get away.

"Hey!" We run towards him as he gets in. "That's my power source, slime bot!"

"Donnie," I stop him as Pulverizer is struggling to get away from the Kraang.

"Ow! Donnie! My love!"

I groan slowly as we turn to the helicopter. "The power cell..." We glance at the two decisions before ultimately making one. "Aw, crud." Donnie throws his staff, knocking a laser gun out of a Kraang's hand. I throw my katana, piercing it through the Kraang's head that was holding Pulverizer. Donnie jumps onto the other Kraang's body, grabbing his staff back and knocking him down with two strikes. The other Kraang releases my katana and Pulverizer. I grab him, jump into the air, flash-freeze him, and throw him onto the ground. His body breaks into pieces while the alien slowly crawls away, his pink body cold. The last of the Kraang are knocked down, but the helicopter gets away with the power cell...

The other turtles walk up to us while I grab my sword. "Aw man. Looks like I mucked everything up, didn't I?" He glances at us.

"Hey, bro, it's not your fault," Mikey tells him and I frown slightly.

"Um, actually Mikey, it is," Leo reminds him.

"Oh yeah."

"Not completely," Donnie speaks up. "We're the ones who sent the Shellraiser through the wall, and that's what cracked the power cell."

"And I should've gone after the power cell when that Kraang had it, but...everything was happening so fast," I murmur. Leo hugs me from behind and I smile at his action.

"Uh, so, you think we could pick up our training again sometime?" Pulverizer asks hopefully. Donnie and I walk up to him, Donnie placing a hand on his shoulder.

"No," We say simply in unison.

"Fine. But I'll be practicing. And I'll be back. And wherever crime may roam, wherever help is-"

"Bye!" We all interrupt and he grabs my hand. I glance at the turtles awkwardly.

"I shall return and become stronger for you, my lady. And then I can win your love!" He glares at Leo, who rolls his eyes. I snatch my hand away.

"Would you just go?!" He sags and walks away dejectedly. Hopefully that's the last we'll see of him...

"I've gotta figure out how we're getting that power cell back," Donnie says.

"Which raises the question," Leo glances at the Shellraiser. "How are we gonna get the Shellraiser home?"

* * *

Leo, Mikey, and Raph push the Shellraiser through the tunnels. Donnie and I are sitting inside to make sure that everything goes smoothly. "Are you sure the parking brake isn't on?" Raph calls out as Donnie and I are up front.

"For the hundredth time, yes!" Donnie yells back and then he sees that it IS on. "Oh wait," He pulls it while I bang my head against the other steering wheel, causing it to honk. "Sorry guys!" He peeks out from inside. "Uh, try it now."

"Donnie!"

"Donatello!"

Oh boy...well, at least they won't be mad at me!

* * *

Leo and I are meditating together, just to make sure my powers are under control now. Lately, I've been able to get a hold on them like earlier tonight, which is good. Lord knows I need it...

I peek open an eye as Leo looks focused, deep into his stance. I can't help but stare at him, he's so handsome...!

Leo clears his throat, opening his eyes with a smirk. "I thought I was supposed to help you, not make you stare at me."

"I'm sorry," I smile sheepishly before I smirk back. "You got really jealous because of that idiot, huh?"

"I...couldn't help it," He rubs his neck nervously. "I know that it'll never happen, but still...I don't wanna lose you. Especially after Karai. I was definitely an idiot for that."

"Aww," I grin at him. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere...but you're right, you are an idiot."

"Hey!" He protests with a pout. "Come on, don't you think I've had enough getting teased about this from my brothers?"

"Ooo, Karai, I'll totally forget about another girl I clearly like and oogle over your hot bod!" I mock him, clasping my hands together.

"Don't ever say that again," Leo looks annoyed.

"Hmm...nah, I think I'll keep going. Karai, I'm totally head over heels for you! I-"

Leo pushes me down onto the rug suddenly and I laugh as he starts tickling my waist. "Told you not to mock me," He smirks as I continue to laugh.

"Leo! Stop!"

"Mm, nah, I think I'll keep going," He winks at me and I whine that he's using my words against me.

"Not fair."

"Are we even now?" He asks with a grin and I nod. I look into his blue eyes as he's touching me...we've been close, sure, but nothing like this. Leo reaches his hands out and cups my cheeks, holding in a breath as he's staring into my eyes. One of his hands reaches towards my hair which is sprawled onto the rug underneath me. He slowly unties the bow, letting my hair loose.

"Leo...?" I murmur quietly and he says nothing. He leans in and kisses me softly, holding my cheeks again. The kiss is gentle, making me melt into his embrace. So I kiss back, unable to resist my feelings for him. He gently kisses back harder and I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him deep into the irresistible moment. He surprises me by licking my lips gently, asking for permission. I grant it, gasping softly as he slides his tongue into my mouth. I hum as I start to enjoy it and he smiles as he finds my tongue. We tongue wrestle for dominance until Leo pulls back, saliva connecting our mouths and he smiles.

"I've been wanting to do that for a long time," He murmurs, playing with the strands of my hair. I giggle up at him.

"Same here..." I admit and he strokes my cheeks with his thumbs. He smiles, pressing his forehead to mine.

"Ames...I was wondering if...you wanted to go to Murakami's with me...n-not as we are, but-"

"On a date? Is that what you're trying to say?" I interrupt, laughing slightly at his stammering.

"Well...yeah," He nods slowly as we don't break our embrace.

"Of course I will," I smile up at him. "Captain Leo."

He chuckles, kissing my nose. "Captain Leo has a nice ring to it..."

I kiss him again and he returns it, playing with my hair as we take one step closer in our relationship...


	17. TCRI

**Angel: Today I will be finishing this series! Yes! I think I'll post the new story I mentioned...January 3rd, maybe? As for updates on this, you'll see an update tomorrow. I'll update every day until it's finished...well, maybe not Christmas XD There's only 9 chapters left, anyway.**

A helicopter is flying in the sky while we follow it using the Patrol Buggy. We're trying to track down the Kraang so we can get back the power cell. "Stay on 'em, Leo!" Donnie calls out. "The Kraang app's tripping out! It's picking up a signal from the power cell."

"Again? Last time that thing led us to a burrito in a microwave," Leo states, and he's not joking either.

"Left!" Donnie shouts and Leo turns left sharply. "Left again! They're getting away!"

I love Don, but if he keeps shouting like that, I'm gonna get a headache. "Right!" Leo turns right and Raph looks up.

"Look out!" He warns as a truck is coming near us.

"Left, right, left, right!" Donnie screams commands. Leo, Raph, and I pull our levers, causing us to split up and maneuver past the truck, a hobo, and a pizza delivery boy. We reconnect our cars and Mikey hollers, throwing his hands up into the air.

"Yeah! This is more fun than a Shriners' parade!" He cheers.

"What are you saying?" Raph asks in confusion.

"Right!" Donnie shouts and Leo turns again. He turns to look at me, smiling. I smile back before my eyes widen at what's up ahead.

"Leo, Leo look out!" I screech and he sees a dead end in his sights. He turns around, making us spin around. Unfortunately, Donnie's T-Phone flies out of his hands, breaking it and the Kraang get away.

"We lost 'em!" Donnie groans, hanging his head. I pat him on the shell in comfort. Raph glares at Leo.

"If leader boy hadn't made goo-goo eyes, we could've had 'em!" He mutters bitterly and I roll my eyes. Leo rubs his neck sheepishly. Now with the power cell, the Kraang can power up that portal and use it for whatever they want...

"That's it," Leo declares as we're sitting around. "We're going to see Leatherhead."

Donnie's eyes widen for a second. "Uh, L-Leatherhead?" He asks nervously. Why's he so—ohh. Yeah, Leatherhead's not exactly...friendly with Donnie. His past tendencies to grab his head has made Donnie the most wary about his temper.

"He's the one who took the power cell from the Kraang, he's the one who might know where to find it," Leo states, turning to Donnie.

"He's also the one who likes to grab my face and shake it like a rag doll!" Donnie complains, Mikey laughing at the memory.

"Good times."

"Zip it!" Donnie orders and I laugh, covering my mouth. Leo grabs my hand as he chuckles to himself.

"Oh, come on," Mikey dismisses as he jumps off of the dumpster. "He's a pussy cat...who likes to grab your face and shake it like a rag doll!"

This earns him a white-eyed glare from Donnie. He's so mad that I can hear the thunder behind him. "Right," Mikey moves to the Patrol Buggy. "Let's move!"

* * *

We emerge from the sewer water, inhaling the air once more. It's not ideal, but it's still oxygen. "Who can hold their breath? We can," Mikey brags, jerking a thumb to himself. Leo helps me out of the water and I roll my eyes.

"We wouldn't have to if you hadn't kept swimming off to pick up trash," Raph states as I squeeze my hair dry.

"Yeah, and considering how only one of us is a human and not a turtle, I need to breath at least every few minutes, Mikey." I'm not a terrible swimmer, but people still need air to breathe underwater.

"One man's trash is another man's treasure," Mikey nuzzles something he picked up.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's every man's trash," Raph remarks before we hear a growl.

"There he is," Leo whispers as he points to something, or should I say someone. Leatherhead is right across from us, sleeping. "We don't wanna alarm him, so no one make any sudden moves." He takes my hand and steps closer to me.

"Aww, look how cute," Mikey steps closer to the gator, only for him to roar in his sleep. Mikey yelps as he moves back, laughing nervously.

"Who's gonna wake him up?" Donnie asks hesitantly and we all look at Mikey.

"Not it!" We all shout, Leo leading me away.

"Yes, I win!" Mikey cheers before his eyes turn white in shock, glancing at us. Leo pushes Mikey towards Leatherhead. Leatherhead's my friend, but that doesn't mean I'll risk my life a second time like I did when we first met him. Someone else needs a turn. Mikey taps his fingers together before he raises his foot above the gator mutant. "Leatherhead. Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey." He taps his foot on Leatherhead's body and the mutant immediately wakes up, roaring at Mikey so loud he makes his mask tails fly.

"Can we make sudden moves now?!" Donnie exclaims in fear.

"Kraang!" Leatherhead grabs Donnie by the face, again, to our shock and begins shaking him.

"He's grabbing me by the face again!" Donnie screams and Leatherhead knocks Raph, Leo, and I down.

"Leatherhead, don't!" Mikey is about to try and help him, but Leatherhead knocks him away with his tail. "He must be having a nightmare."

"That makes two of us!" Donnie calls out and he's finally released. He crashes against the wall and lands in the water that we came from. Raph ducks his head from Leatherhead's tail. He jumps onto his back.

"He's your friend, Mikey and ice princess! What do we do?" Raph asks as Leatherhead tries to shake him off.

"Rub his belly! He likes that!" Mikey tells him.

"What did you say?" Raph questions but he doesn't get to find out as Leatherhead throws him off into the wall. Leo stands up, only to be knocked away by the tail. I would use my powers on him, but I don't wanna hurt him.

"Leatherhead!" Mikey calls out. "Come on, dude, it's Michelangelo and Amy. Turn off the crazy eyes, buddy."

Leatherhead crawls onto the ceiling to get to Mikey, picking him up in the air. He roars in his face, raising a claw. Mikey whimpers and I grab the hand.

"Leatherhead...stop," I warn him slowly and his eyes turn back to normal. He grabs his hand back, placing it on his head.

"Michelangelo? Amelia?" He asks before he sees the others getting up. "My friends," He drops Mikey as he realizes what he's done. "Oh no. I got angry again, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did it again!" Donnie answers, "Why do you keep grabbing my face? What is wrong with my face?!"

"Would you like the list alphabetically or in descending order of grossness?" Raph squeezes his mask tails dry. I glare at him slightly.

"There is nothing wrong with your face, Donnie," I place a hand on his shoulder. "Though I can't say the same about Raph."

"Hey!" Raph exclaims at me, the other turtles chuckling at him.

"I am sorry. You are my friends. The only ones I can truly trust. That's why I gave you the power cell for safekeeping," He explains genuinely. Mikey and Raph glance at each other, blinking. Donnie backs away to Leo and I.

"Yeah, uh, it's-it's a funny story."

"Uhm, about that," Leo starts off.

"Funny story, true story," Mikey holds up a finger.

"Yeah, sooo funny," I smile nervously. There is no telling how he will react because he spent six months protecting that cell. He risked his life for humanity for this cell, only for us to lose it...so yeah, not looking forward to the next few minutes.

"But before we tell it, why don't you sit down, and I and my face will take one big step backwards," Donnie backs away a few feet, all the way to the wall. "Okay, go ahead."

"Well, about the power cell, we sorta lost it..." Leo states, Leatherhead's eyes turning angry. Raph and Mikey back away slowly. "To the Kraang." Leo picks me up bridal style, jumping away as Leatherhead growls in anger, grabbing Donnie by the face, for the fourth time ever since we met him. Leatherhead shoves Donnie's body to the ground, the turtle whimpering.

"Leatherhead, Leatherhead, no," I warn him. "Put him down. He's had enough of you grabbing him by the face."

"No, Leatherhead," He tells himself. "These are your friends."

"Mhm," Donnie answers nervously and Leatherhead sighs slowly, placing Donnie back on his feet.

"Obviously you did everything you could to protect it." While he's talking, he's stretching Donnie's cheek.

"Well, um, heh, to be honest, I wasn't-" Raph goes over to Mikey and stretches his cheek.

"Yes, that's exactly what happened," He states quickly so that we don't have to deal with another angry moment.

"Leatherhead, we need to get it back," Leo says.

"With the power cell, the Kraang can open the portal to Dimension X. And when it opens-"

"They can use it to bring anything from their home here," Donnie finishes in realization.

"Things so horrible, they terrify even me," Leatherhead elaborates and I pat his snout. He hugs me like he would a teddy bear, Raph chuckling.

"We need to keep that portal from opening," Leo replies, "Can you tell us where it is?"

"All I remember is this," Leatherhead starts to draw a symbol, Donnie pulling out his T-Phone to snap a photo.

"Leatherhead, please let go of Ames," Leo explains gently.

"No!" Leatherhead clutches onto me. "She smells nice."

"Maybe we should use her from now," Raph jerks a thumb at me, Donnie and Leo smirking.

"Uhm, but I need to breathe, Leatherhead, and I don't wanna be used as a way to calm you down in the future," I give Raph a look. He keeps hugging me, Mikey and Raph snapping photos from their phones. "Wha-don't take pictures!"

* * *

Donnie looks at the symbol of 7 hexagons, 6 in a circle and 1 in the middle. "I know I've seen this symbol. It's so familiar." He looks down at Metalhead's head and a mutagen canister, both of which have the same symbol imprinted on it somewhere. I'm stretching my arms from Leatherhead's snuggling. Man, for a gator, he knows how to almost break my limbs...

"The Olympics," Mikey holds up a hand.

"No!" Donnie denies immediately.

"I got it. The Olympics!"

"Stop guessing," Donnie tells him sharply.

"You're not even close, Mikey. That symbol has five different colored circles and this one has hexagons. They're not the same," I shake my head.

"Obviously it's a Kraang symbol," Donnie states.

"But from where?" Leo wonders as I lightly touch the symbol on Metalhead's head. I know I've seen this too, but I can't put a finger on it...why do I feel like I know this symbol from a long time ago? I only wonder...

"The Olympics!" Mikey exclaims.

"Quit it!" Donnie shouts in frustration, the rest of our eyes turning white in shock. Mikey hugs Raph. "There's something here and I can figure it out, if you could all just go away and let me think!" We all back away slowly into the living room.

"You okay?" Leo asks me and I nod.

"Yup. I just...feel like that symbol is so recognizable, but I can't remember where I've seen it," I explain, looking up at him.

"Donnie will figure it out. He always does," He pecks my lips and I giggle at him. "Can't wait for tonight."

"Me too." Tonight is our first date, and I'm excited. I just wish I knew what I was gonna wear. We're gonna go to Murakami's and eat some pizza gyoza, but we're not gonna tell the guys or else they'd demand their share of it.

* * *

We're running across the rooftops, faster than we've gone before. Donnie is in the lead, trying to lead us to somewhere. He's finally found out where he saw that symbol. "Donnie, hold on!" Leo calls out.

"Just hurry up!" He urges and I flip as they jump without stopping.

"I hate when he's like this!" Raph exclaims with a grunt and finally, he stops. I'm a little tired.

"I figured out where else I've seen this," Donnie holds up the photo in front of a building.

"Where?" Leo asks and he moves the phone away...to a tall building with that exact same symbol.

"TCRI? _They're_ behind the Kraang plot?" Raph asks in disbelief, because that was the same building that Stockman tried to break into...and the same one where...

"The invasion?" Leo questions in shock, Mikey running in place.

"The Olympics?" Raph smacks him across the head. "What was that?"

"A new Olympic event," Raph answers, Mikey glaring at him. "Wait...that's also where your parents worked!" He points to me in shock.

"Yeah...well, my mother now," I explain, looking at it. "When my parents divorced, my dad got custody of me, he quit his job here, and I moved in with him. And when he disappeared, I came here...she never told me this is where she works, it's all kept secret..."

"Did she know?" Leo asks and I bend down on my knees, still staring at the building. I can't believe my mother works there...is that why they kidnapped her? I know that she doesn't know them because she was freaking out before the turtles rescued us. That reaction tells me she knows nothing. But they were right there this whole time and we didn't know... Leo steps closer to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Ames...did she know?"

"No...she doesn't," I answer quietly, "Chances are my dad doesn't either."

"They've been in plain sight the whole time. We just never realized it," Donnie says.

"I think it's pretty obvious what we have to do. We're going in and taking down that portal," Leo declares as we stare at it.

* * *

Back at the lair, we're in the kitchen, where Donnie is staring at something. It kinda looks like a bomb to me. Mikey pops up behind him, holding up a finger. "Can I touch that?"

"Sure, if you wanna blow us and the whole lair to pieces."

"Nah, I'm good," Mikey shrinks behind him. Leo, Splinter, April, and I are looking at schematics.

"I managed to download blueprints for TCRI," She starts off, pointing, "Now, the bottom two thirds are just a normal office building. And, from what I can tell, normal humans like Amy's parents work there."

"Don't remind me," I mutter as I place a hand on my cheek.

"Imagine if they knew who they were working for. The ones who are working for this place must punch the card that is known as the time card in the clock that is known as the clock of time," Leo does a Kraang impression and we both laugh, April and Splinter staring at us. "Sorry, where were we?"

"Hmph," Splinter turns to April. "What about the upper floors?"

"Well, that's the thing. The top third is completely blank," She points to a shot of where the third floor is empty.

"Whatever they built up there," Leo points to the spot with a small knife, "They didn't want anyone to know about it," He hides the knife back into his palm.

"Especially my mother," I add.

"Which means that is exactly where you have to go," Splinter tell us. Raph appears out of nowhere, scaring Mikey and Donnie. They both glare at him, veins on their foreheads.

"Watch it, fool." Mikey warns him as Raph is laughing.

"First, we need to figure out how to get past security in the lobby," Leo points to the ground floor of the building.

"Tricky," April murmurs in thought. "It's not like we can just pack you in a box and send it special delivery."

Leo looks up with a smile, rubbing his chin. We all stare at him, wondering just what is on his mind...

* * *

We're climbing up the elevator shaft, where we hear Leatherhead roaring and fighting off the Kraang in the lobby. Oh no, we weren't in that box. Leatherhead was, because he can distract them just fine. "I feel kinda bad leaving Leatherhead down there."

Leatherhead roars again and Raph grins as he hears the destruction. "I think he'll be fine," Leo says without worry.

"So how far to the top?" Raph wonders and we all look up at the long way up. "Yikes."

We use the walls and rope to climb up. I'm using rope with Mikey while the others are using the wall. Mikey's humming something and Donnie comes to a stop, glancing at him. "Are you humming the Olympics theme?"

"It seemed appropriate," Mikey answers and I hear Raph growl, glancing down at them.

"Pipe down, you two." He stands in front of a door, forcing it open. Right outside are Kraang...getting dressed...into their human forms. Raph shouts as he shuts the door. "I gotta wash my eyes."

"Okay...mark that into things I never wanna see again," I comment slowly.

"Ditto," Raph agrees with me. Soon after, the alarm goes off. "That's bad."

"Alright!" Mikey cheers, pumping a fist.

"What?" Leo asks as Mikey looks happy for some reason.

"Finally someone set off an alarm and it wasn't me," Mikey jerks a thumb to himself.

"Not true. Leo did it," I smirk and Leo huffs slightly. The door re-opens and the Kraang start firing at us. Raph jumps to the ropes and we have to jump around to make sure we don't get hit. Mikey flips into the air, throwing his chain at the robot firing at us. He throws the Kraang into the shaft and it falls down to the bottom.

"Ah, darn it. Forgot to say 'see you next fall.' Ah, next elevator shaft fight," Mikey shrugs it off. He continues climbing, only for a noise to be heard from below. We look down to see the elevator coming towards us, with five Kraangdroids prepared to take us on. They fire at us and we leap down to deal with them. Donnie lands on one, knocking one away as Raph lands on another one. Leo slices one as soon as he lands and Mikey swings his nunchuck at one. When I land, I turn around and pull out my sword, slicing one across the torso. Donnie jabs at the one in front of him, who dodges each attempt before Donnie swings his staff, knocking him down. Mikey dodges a punch from one and hits him with his nunchucks, eventually knocking him out. Raph stabs his sai through one's head and kicks him away, causing it to shut down. Leo deflects one's weapon before he spins around, slicing off the head. I spin to kick one, holding out my hands and freezing it on the spot. I stab through the body with my katana, breaking the body in half.

"Okay," Leo pants out of breath. "Let's get inside, where it's safe." He opens the panel, but we're met with at least 7 more Kraang inside. They look up at us and ready their guns, Leo immediately closing the door. "I gotta stop saying things like that."

"Gimme a smoke bomb," I sigh wearily and Mikey hands me one.

"What are you gonna do?" He asks curiously as I circle my hands, surrounding the smoke bomb with snowflakes.

"Hopefully something useful," I open the panel and drop the smoke bomb, trapping all the Kraang as they're all frozen. We quickly take them out and when the lights turn on, they're all dismantled.

"That was great, Ames," Leo grins at me and I blush at him.

"Thanks..."

"Can we please just ride this thing to the top now?" Raph asks irritably, as we're getting tired of fighting Kraang. Donnie tries to push a button, but nothing works.

"We can't. There's a retinal scanner."

Raph sighs and takes the Kraang head from Mikey's hand. He pushes Mikey away. "I'm on it," He presses the eye to the scanner above all the buttons.

"That which is known is access is granted to Kraang," Miss Campbell's voice says and we wait as we start going up. No wonder why all the humans don't know about the third floor, it's because of the retinal scanner. Since they don't know how to use it, this floor remained undiscovered.

"Hey, this is so much easier," Mikey comments with a grin.

"Yeah, finally a chance to catch our breath," Raph replies and we pull out our weapons in case there's more Kraang waiting for us. But as soon as we arrive on the 40th floor, we're met with gas instead that emits into the room. We all cough, dropping our weapons.

"Poison gas," Leo says wearily and we all fall unconscious.

* * *

Someone's shaking me gently as I'm lying down on a cold floor. "Ames. Ames, wake up." I can feel his arms around me as my head is in his shoulder. "Please, you have to wake up." His voice sounds desperate. Leo...

"L-Leo," I murmur, my eyes still closed. "I can't breathe with your shoulder blocking my face..."

"Sorry," He says sheepishly as he releases me and I open my eyes. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"Where are we?" I ask as I look around. All I can mostly see is poison gas, but we're not breathing it anymore.

"Well, the good news is we're still alive," Donnie looks out of the glass orb.

"What's the bad news?" Leo helps me up.

"That." We take in our surroundings as I see a huge portal in the middle of the room. "We are deep in Kraang territory." There's Kraang everywhere floating around the room, some of them talking to others on screens. Others are locked into this panel where their floating devices can lock in. A Kraang brain slides down the glass in front of us, grossing Leo out.

"We're not in Kansas anymore," Leo says dryly.

"I thought we were in New York!" Mikey exclaims cluelessly, Raph punching him in the head.

"The portal!" Leo sees it and Donnie gasps.

"It's beautiful," He clears his throat, "Scientifically speaking."

"Well, if you love it so much, why don't you marry it? You can have a double wedding with Leo and ice princess." Raph replies sarcastically. Mikey clasps his hands, hearts above his head.

"Do you, Donatello, take this portal to be your-"

"Knock it off, all of you," Leo interrupts as Donnie is glaring at Mikey. I'm blushing and so is Leo at the thought of marriage. He he...I'm only 15, so that's not gonna happen for a while... "W-We need to figure out how we're gonna destroy Donnie's bride over there."

"Yeah, not likely," Raph states, "We're stuck in here, our weapons are way over there." Near the portal is where our weapons are on the floor. One Kraang takes one of Mikey's nunchucks. He plays around with it, spinning it around with a laugh. He smacks himself in the head with it, flying away. "In a room that's filled with, in case you forgot, poison gas."

"If it's poison, how can they breathe that stuff?" Mikey wonders, a Kraang flying past us.

"I think it's what the air is like in Dimension X," Donnie says.

"Well that's stupid," Raph shrugs, "Why would you invade the place when you can't even breathe the air?"

"That's just weird," I lean across the glass. "You come here onto a planet how many years ago, but you can't figure out how to breathe in it?"

"Pfft, yeah. What are they gonna do, mutate the whole planet so they can live here and we can't?"

A pinball noise goes off as my eyes open in shock, the other turtles just as surprised. "I don't know what's scarier, what you just said or that you said it," Donnie comments.

"Wait, wait, what'd I say?" Mikey wonders and I facepalm.

"Mikey's right. The Kraang are trying to transform the planet into something they can live on," Donnie explains.

"And we can't. We have to stop them," Leo replies.

"How are we supposed to get out of here with these guys watching our every move?" Raph gestures to all the Kraang staring at us like we're in a zoo.

"Freakin' creepy," I back away slowly.

"We need a distraction," Leo looks up and as a few Kraang are gathering around, the portal powers up. The Kraang watching us, I mean stalking us, immediately fly away to the portal instead.

"Like the portal?" Mikey asks as he steps up front.

"That might do it," Raph comments.

"Once that thing opens up, anything could go through there," He glances at me and I shake my head in denial.

"Sorry guys, but my ice," I tap my finger against the glass. "Ain't gonna break through this. We need a harder object."

Leo pulls out his knife and Donnie uses it to make a mark. Leo turns to Mikey. "Mikey, you said you can hold your breath?"

"Like a turtle do," Mikey replies with a grin.

"Now's your chance."

We all inhale, holding our breath. Mikey jumps into the air and hides his limbs inside his shell. Leo and Raph hold him while I move out of the way. They hit the mark that Donnie made, only slightly breaking it. They hit it again, and I can see it starting to crack. The third time, Mikey flies out as the glass breaks, letting his legs free so he can kick two flying Kraang brains.

"Booyaka-" He covers his mouth as he remembers all the green gas around the area. We run past him to get to our weapons, but the Kraang are blocking our path. They fly towards us, firing electricity from their devices. We run out of the way, Raph kicking one down. Leo punches one of its pod before kicking another towards the window above. Raph jumps above lasers, kicking a brain out of a pod, which also hits the window. With them out of the way, we take our weapons back. Donnie looks around, seeing something above him as I throw him his staff. A Kraang is coming towards him, but he swings his staff like a baseball bat, hitting the pod. It flies all the way to the window, breaking it and finally letting all of the gas out so we can breathe. We exhale, panting slightly.

"We're good. Let's go!"

Something pink glows near us and we turn to something we forgot to do. "The portal, we're too late!"

"Whoops," I cringe at this.

"Something's coming through!" Leo exclaims as there's a big pink orb in the middle of the portal. It materializes into a 20 foot tall...thing whose body is made out of stone. I can see lava right through his limbs.

It looks up at us and we all look up as it's tall enough to reach the ceiling. The Kraang surround him in the air and Mikey waves at them. "Welcome to Earth, giant rock man."

It roars at us and starts walking towards us. It raises a foot above us. "Scatter!" Leo shouts and Donnie backflips out of the way. He backflips again further.

"Wow, an entity made of living rock. I wish I could study it," He flips into the air, hitting it with his staff, but he doesn't make a dent. "Wow!" He hits the leg with his staff, but Donnie shakes due to the force. Leo runs up to it.

"Study it after we smash it to a million pieces!" Leo goes to strike it with his sword, but it breaks in half. "Or not." The being goes to smash him, but Leo flips out of the way. Donnie tries to attack, but he has to move out of the way from a foot. Raph, Mikey, and I slide over to it, running up to the being, but it spews lava at us.

"Watch out for the lava barf!" Raph jumps onto the wall and leaps towards it, but the being punches him into the air and grabs him as he falls. Raph tries kicking its face before his eyes widen. "Aw shoot." He throws Raph towards the portal and his shell hits it, landing on the ground. Donnie, Mikey, and I look up at it and he hits them to Raph. I jump up from a punch and hold out my hands. A huge icicle shoots up from the floor, but it breaks as soon as it touches the being!

I gasp in shock and jump out of the way as it steps towards the turtles. Leo slides over to me and throws three smoke bombs at it. This distracts it for a short time before it attacks us. Leo holds me in his arms as he runs, jumping all the way to the second floor. He goes in for the punch and he breaks the wall, but we land in front of the hole.

"Booyakasha!" The other turtles jump, kicking it with so much force he falls onto the ground.

"Do you have anything that can hurt this thing?" Raph asks as it gets back up. Donnie looks down at his bag.

"The explosive might do it, but then we wouldn't be able to take out the portal."

"Unless we do both at the same time," Leo holds out his hand. "Hand them over."

Donnie takes the bag off, handing it to Leo. Mikey throws down a smoke bomb, making us disappear. Leo flips into the air and throws the bag onto the being, flipping off of him.

"Awesome, Leo!" Mikey exclaims and the being tries to get it off. "So how do we get him into the portal?"

"Uh...I kinda hadn't thought that far ahead," Leo comments and I stand in front of him.

"In the meantime, I'll distract it so you can figure something out!" I run up to it and start making an ice barrier in front of it. While I'm doing that, we hear a ding from the elevator. The doors open and a Kraangdroid lands on the ground, defeated. Leatherhead steps into the room.

"Leatherhead!" Mikey cheers.

"Traag!" Leatherhead shouts and roars, making me turn around. I flip out of the way as he throws the body he had with him, but Traag deflects it, breaking past my ice. Leatherhead jumps into the air, knocking it off its feet with his tail. He grabs Traag's foot and knocks him down. He then throws him down again.

"Leatherhead, get him by the portal!" Donnie calls out. Leatherhead throws him right into the portal, roaring. Donnie pulls out his T-Phone and activates the bombs, causing an explosion. "We did it!"

"Yeah!" Leo cheers and Leatherhead growls.

"Alright!"

"Wahoo!"

"High three!" Mikey declares and our eyes widen.

"What the...?" The portal is still operational, with no evidence that explosives even touched the thing.

"It's still standing?" Donnie asks and it powers up.

"High three cancelled," Mikey says.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Donnie questions as we don't have anything else.

"I could punch it a few times, but I don't think that's gonna do it," Raph comments, shrugging.

"And I can't freeze it, it'll probably protect that too," I look down at my hands.

"Uh, guys?" Mikey points at the portal. Pieces of Traag are lying down on the portal, so I know we blew up something. But he starts to piece himself back together.

"Well this day can't get any worse," Raph remarks and as soon as Traag puts his head back on, the portal starts up again. "And it just did."

"Something else might come through! What do we do now?" Donnie asks in worry. Leatherhead roars as he steps up to the portal. He jumps and knocks down Traag, hitting it across the face.

"Leatherhead," Mikey warns as we see the pink light forming. "Something else is coming through!"

"Not if I can help it," He declares, punching Traag one last time before dragging him to the portal. "Farewell, my friends."

"Leatherhead, noooo!" Mikey and I call out as we watch our friend disappear inside with Traag. The capacity of two people going through causes a sonic wave to knock us onto the ground. "Leatherhead, I can't believe he's gone."

"We gotta get out of here," Leo orders.

"We can't just leave! With that portal operational, the Kraang are more dangerous than ever! We have to destroy it!" As soon as Donnie says that, the elevator opens, allowing more Kraang to come in.

"Uh, maybe later," We jump up the wall, as we can't deal with anymore Kraang today. We land at the hole that Traag punched. Leo points his grappling hook. "We'll be back," He fires it to the building across from us and we zip down it.

* * *

April is pacing around with Splinter sitting nearby. We slowly walk inside and April looks up at us. "Oh, you're okay!" She runs up to us, Splinter standing up.

"Welcome home, my children," He greets warmly, hands behind his back as April is hugging Donnie. "Was your mission successful?"

Leo, Raph, and I sit on the couch. "Afraid not, sensei. Leatherhead's...gone," He hugs me in comfort. Mikey lands next to me, frightening me a little. Raph closes his eyes while April places her hand on Donnie's arm. Mikey holds up something in his hand.

"Yeah...but he saved us. And I found this," He holds it up.

"Oh good. Now you're picking up alien trash," Raph retorts as Donnie takes it from Mikey.

"Do you realize what this is?"

"Shiny!" Mikey grins and I sigh slowly at him.

"It's a Kraang data storage device! If I can decode it, maybe it can help us find a way to stop 'em."

Mikey's watching someone blast an alien as April has something on her mind. We've told them everything that's happened so far today. "This just doesn't make sense. If the Kraang are trying to terraform the Earth, what do they need my dad and Amy's mom for?"

"Well, they are scientists," Leo speaks up.

"Yeah, but he's a psychologist. He studies rats running through mazes," April explains, turning to Splinter. "No offense."

"I like a good maze," Splinter nods in agreement and I stifle a laugh before I cross my arms, leaning back.

"And my mom's a biologist. She deals in amoebas, so I don't think she's relevant to their plot..."

"What about your dad?" Leo asks me and I shake my head.

"No, he deals with plants. He met my mom while on a trip to New Zealand and he hasn't worked at TCRI for the past few years. So none of them would know anything."

"But if they didn't need your parents, why were they after them in the first place?" Raph asks from the staircase. The door to Donnie's lab opens.

"I don't think they were," He states, the rest of us glancing at each other.

We've gathered around Donnie's lab at his computer. Metalhead is connected to it. "I used the Kraang processor inside Metalhead to access that storage device. A lot of the files are damaged...but I think I found what they're after." Donnie presses enter...to reveal pictures of me and April...We stare at them in horror.

"They're after us?!"

* * *

I play around with my dumplings at Murakami's. I'm wearing a hot pink polka dotted dress that has green and pink ruffles at the bottom. My shoes are light pink knee-high boots and on top of my head is a pink headband. Leo awkwardly sips his drink.

"So...how are you holding up?"

"Ugh...the thought that the Kraang are after not just April, but me...is a little unsettling," I shiver a bit at the memory of seeing all those pictures.

"Don't worry. We'll stop them," Leo narrows his eyes. "I swear."

"I know," I smile slightly. "Thank you, Leo."

"Heh, no problem..."

I eat one of the dumplings sloppily and he starts laughing at me. I raise an eyebrow at him skeptically before he points to my cheek. I touch it to feel some of the pizza sauce on my face. "Your face..."

"Me?" I ask playfully before I smash his face playfully into his food. "Look at your face!" I start laughing at him and he pouts, turning his mouth into a smile.

"See? You can still have fun after all the bad stuff."

"I see what you did," I smirk at him, wiping my face. He suddenly stands up, confusing me.

"Come on, let's go."

"Go where?" I call out as I leave Murakami his money.

"Trust me," Leo only winks and I follow after him.

* * *

We're holding hands as we each hold an ice cream cone, sitting on the top of a water tower. My cone has cookies and cream along with a scoop of birthday cake ice cream. Leo's got vanilla only. "Mm, this is delicious."

"It's worth it to make you smile," Leo comments and I grin.

"That was cheesy."

"But you like cheesy," He retorts back.

"Touche."

Leo looks up at the moon in front of us and I follow his gaze. "You think one day we'll see the stars together?"

"Maybe, if we weren't living in New York," I snort in amusement.

"I know _that_ ," Leo rolls his eyes playfully. "I just...wanna see them one day with you. Or see them at all for once in my lifetime."

"Hm," I hum slightly, placing my head on his shoulder. He rests his cheek on top of my hair.

"Ames?"

"Yeah?"

"Why the shell did you get two scoops?"

I burst into laughter, licking the top scoop. "I couldn't decide between the two, so I got both."

"You're so indecisive sometimes."

"I'll take that as a compliment," I look up at him, pecking his nose. His nostrils flare up as he's got cream on his nose.

"Hey," He wipes it off and I giggle at him. "Whatever, at least it's you."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," I grin and he pecks my lips. This was a good way to get my mind off the whole Kraang thing. If we can do this all the time, I'm not complaining.


	18. Cockroach Terminator

**Angel: I have officially finished this story! Hooray! I won't update on Christmas since that's a holiday and I'll be spending it with my family. I will continue updating on the 26th up until I'm done updating. And then after that, I'll continue with Sophia X. January 3rd is when I'll post my new story. And this one is one I've been waiting to do for a long time, so yay! I won't say which one, you'll know it when you see it.**

 **As for Rise, the two episodes that were released online a few weeks won't be supposedly aired until next year. Don't know which month. So it might be a month or two before new episodes come out. So, it's on hiatus.**

"Let's go, Leo! I'm starving!" Mikey complains as Leo has just finished making ramen for dinner. He pours the noodles in two bowls. "Yeah boi! Ramen!" Raph's already eating his while reading a magazine. Leo hands me my bowl and comes back with two more, one for him and one for Mikey. Leo and I smile at each other before we start eating. Donnie must be in his lab, like usual. But not everything is normal as it seems. A cockroach crawls up to my bowl and I move my chopstick towards it. It crawls up to me and I pet it on the head. For some reason, it's got this device strapped around its back. The cockroach chirps before getting back down on the table, Leo staring at it. Mikey looks up as he's stuffing noodles into his face.

But Raph just freaks the heck out. He screams, dropping the chopsticks. "Roach, roach!"

I stifle a laugh, hugging Leo. Raph slowly pulls out one of his sais and tries to kill the poor creature, but it crawls away on the table. Raph goes after it, making the rest of us grab our bowls. We stare as he keeps attacking it, throwing his other sai at it. We have to duck out of the way from a flying bowl and Donnie comes into the room, holding his laptop.

"Stop, stop! You'll smash him!" Donnie protests.

"Well, that's the idea!" Raph shouts back before Donnie holds out his hand, letting the roach crawl onto it. Donnie protects it in his hands from Raph.

"You can't smash this roach, okay?" He uncovers his hands. "He's special," He snuggles the roach, holding it out. "Really special."

Raph gives an unnatural look at the roach, Donnie waiting for something. I give Leo a look. "He's your brother," I whisper to him.

"Okay, I'm gonna regret this, but... _why_ is he special, Donnie?" Leo asks, expecting a lecture.

"Because I outfitted him with a remote-controlled camera helmet," Donnie points to it.

"Well, that explains why _you're_ special," Leo crosses his arms with a smirk.

"And you put a camera on top of a roach...why?" I question, raising an eyebrow.

"We can send him into TCRI and spy on the Kraang," Donnie explains, pointing to his laptop. "The camera allows us to see whatever the cockroach sees." We all gather around, with me on the screen petting the roach.

"You are so weird," Raph glances at me.

"Hey, when you live in the sewers for months, you're used to seeing a tiny roach," I retort back and we see Raph screaming from the footage the roach just recorded. Mikey laughs, everyone else except Raph smiling.

"That is awesome! Big tough Raph is scared of cockroaches!" Mikey teases, Donnie giving a gaptoothed grin like he's proud of himself.

"I am not," Raph denies, trying to look tough.

"Did you not just watch that?" I grin teasingly.

"Oh really? Let's go to the video," Mikey replays it. "This is my favorite part right here." He pauses it on Raph screaming. "Donnie, can I get this on a t-shirt?"

"Or better yet, make some merchandise on this?" I smirk and Raph leans towards Mikey.

"Wanna see my favorite part?" He grabs Mikey by the plastron and throws him over the table. Mikey groans as he's laying upside down on the floor.

"We're gonna spy on the Kraang, with a cockroach!" Donnie cheers, the cockroach cheering too. Aww, that's kinda adorable.

* * *

We're in the Shellraiser near TCRI as we've sent the cockroach to the building. The footage is being shown to us on the computer from Donnie's station. He's controlling the roach with a joystick mechanism. "Come on, roach number 1, make Papa proud."

The roach crawls up on the wall and uses its saw to pierce through it, getting inside. It crawls around the dark room before we see two Kraang talking, standing in front of a container of mutagen. "Kraang has been on the diet known as gluten free. Kraang has already lost 13 Kraang units of weight."

I roll my eyes at this. They're robot aliens who all look the same, so I don't think they even have a specific weight...

We see two more of them before the roach crawls around some more. It crawls up a pole, all the way to the ceiling before stopping. From down below the roach, there are two Kraang standing in front of a picture of Earth.

"Wait, what are those guys talking about?" Leo points to the picture. "Can you get closer?"

Donnie does so and we keep quiet to listen in. "That which is known as the next phase of the Kraang invasion to the planet known as Earth will soon begin."

"Next phase? That doesn't sound good," Leo shakes his head.

"After that portal they have, far from it," I add in and we listen to some more.

"That which is the laser drill will drill a hole in the planet known as Earth that is a hole that is 13 miles deep in the Earth." Donnie plugs in his T-Phone to download the plans using the roach's camera. Looking at it closer, it's clear what they're planning to do.

"Whoa, whoa..." Donnie rubs his head. "They're gonna bore a hole into Earth?"

"I'm guessing that's bad," Leo states.

"Unless you think the city needs a giant lava fountain," Donnie looks up at him.

"Yep, that's bad."

"Goodbye, harsh winters," Raph murmurs and I look at him.

"I am standing right here. Man, this is bad. My powers can't freeze over lava!" I take a look at my hands.

"Lava surfing rules," Mikey waves his fingers.

"It definitely doesn't, Mikey," Leo stares down at him. "We have to stop this!"

Donnie shushes us as the Kraang continue their conversation. "To execute the plan, Kraang needs to possess that which is known as the diamond lens to make work the drilling of the laser drill."

"What does that mean?" Raph asks, as Kraang speak is not always easy to understand.

"They need a diamond lens to make their laser drill work, now shh!" Donnie explains, shushing him again.

"Kraang is already on t the way to that which is called the laboratory that is having the lens that is needed by Kraang."

"What?" Raph wonders in confusion and I sigh wearily.

"One of them is going to a lab to get the lens," I explain this time.

"Which lab?"

Man, can't he just wait for them to explain and keep his mouth shut? I swear, he's like Mikey right now. "Maybe if we listen, they'll tell us!" Donnie throws up his arms in frustration, hitting the lever from his control. The roach falls and we lose the signal. "Oh, thanks a lot, Raph! We lost the signal!"

I'm not sure where the roach turned up, but since we don't have the roach anymore, we don't know what lab to go to...

After waiting a few minutes, Donnie manages to find it as he was analyzing the photo from his phone. He's a smart guy, losing information was nothing for him.

"Ah ha. I think I found the diamond lab. Now, it's a bit blurry, but maybe we can follow it to the laboratory."

"We don't have much time until the Kraang drill fires, let's go!" Leo declares, both of us running to our seats. I start up the car and the both of us drive...until the car shakes.

"Um, what was that?" I question nervously.

"Ka thump?" Donnie asks in confusion and I look at my screens. "That's a really bad sound!"

"I don't see anything from my end..." I say, glancing to Leo. "You?" He shakes his head no.

"It sounded more like a ba-dump," Mikey comments, Raph standing in front of them.

"I heard a thwap."

"Thwap?" They wonder before Raph slaps them across the faces.

"Thwap."

We all get out of our seats to see if we hit something. Leo and I peek from the doors to see...something not too far away behind us. We step closer as we look at it, Raph with a look of horror on his face. "What is that?" Leo asks in disgust.

"I really don't wanna know," I murmur as I can't look away.

"Ugh, smells like a butt sandwich," Mikey remarks as I cover my mouth. Raph tries not to throw up. It's something brown with green goo covered all over it. Donnie inspects it before he realizes something.

"Oh, oh dear. Wha-" He gasps as he moves the antennas and plastron. "Would you look at that? Hideous, and beautiful," He pokes something with his pencil, green goo coming from it. I gag, backing away from it. Donnie taps his pencil with the goo still on the eraser. He realizes it too late, wiping his mouth with his hand. I giggle, covering my mouth as I snort slightly at his reaction.

"So what is it, Donnie?" Leo pats my shoulder as Donnie's glaring at me. He sticks out his tongue before pulling up an antenna.

"It's my Spy Roach," He explains, Raph dropping his hands.

"Your what? Your what?!"

"He must've been exposed to some mutagen," Donnie says, eyes wide. "You see how the nab helmet merged with its exoskeleton? We have never seen organic and inorganic matter fuse in-in such an amazing-"

"That's great Donnie," Raph interrupts as he's standing next to the Shellraiser. "We can discuss this some more when we're driving away at a thousand miles an hour!"

"First off, you can't even go up to that much in a car, much less one like ours," I jerk a thumb at the subway car. "And second, it is just a roach," I place my hands on my hips as I face him.

"Oh come on, you big baby," Mikey dismisses Raph's nerves. "What are you worried about? We creamed it with our van. It's not like it's gonna get up and come after us."

"Uh, guys?" Donnie calls out and we turn around to see the roach pinning him down, fully healthy. "Waaaaah!" It holds up Donnie in the air, looking up at us. My mouth opens in shock. Didn't we see him on the ground? How the heck is he still standing?

"Or maybe it would," Mikey finishes nervously and Raph screams in terror. Spy Roach throws Donnie away, walking up to us. Raph runs into the Shellraise. Mikey, Leo, Donnie, and I jump into the air, striking at him, but he just stands in place like he's made of concrete. It continues walking towards the Shellraiser.

"This thing's tough!" Leo says.

"Naturally," Donnie speaks up, "Cockroaches are among the most resilient life forms on the planet." No wonder why it feels so strong.

"Yeah, and the grossest," Mikey comments as he has his arm wrapped around the roach's leg. Spy Roach punches him to a wall, Mikey falling upside down into a trash can underneath him. "Sensitive roach!"

"Where's Raph?" Leo asks us and the question is soon answered as Raph is in the manhole cover cannon.

"Eat hot manhole cover!" He fires one and Leo grabs my waist, jumping out of the way as Donnie gets away. It hits the roach dead in the face and Raph continues firing in a rage, not stopping as the roach deflects all of them. Raph fires one that hits it hard, knocking it down on the floor as the camera shuts off. Raph sighs in relief, but as soon as the roach moves an arm, Raph is not so easily reassured. "Oh no." He continues firing, as he's not even hitting the roach anymore, he's just firing randomly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Leo calls out, placing a hand on Raph's shoulder.

"Calm down. I think you've hit him enough, he's already defeated!" I gesture to the roach.

"Okay," Raph nods slowly. "Okay." He fires one more just to be sure. "What do we do with it?"

I throw up my hands in disbelief. "Do you understand what the Kraang are gonna do?! Earth is at stake, we can't waste time with mutant bugs!" I groan in frustration as I walk past him.

"Ames is right, forget the roach!" Leo tells him in exasperation. "We gotta stop the Kraang before they destroy the Earth."

Raph keeps glancing back at the roach like it's gonna get up. I think he's actually challenging that thing to get up again. "You guys are right. We gotta go," Raph walks up to the Shellraiser, Mikey pointing at him.

"You just wanna get away from that thing," Mikey accuses, and it does seem that way. Raph seems to have forgotten that people could possibly die if we don't get a move on. And I can understand why. If I was faced with my fear suddenly, I would focus on that.

Raph gestures to where the roach is, or was. "Is that so wrong?!" He retorts, looking back to see that the roach has somehow disappeared, despite no one seeing it leave. "Oh no. It's gone! Come on, guys, we gotta move!" He pushes Donnie and Mikey inside and we take off to stop the Kraang! Hopefully there's no more delays.

We arrive at the lab, seeing the white van parked in front of it. "There's the van!" Donnie exclaims as I press on the brake. "They must've picked up the lens."

"Ram that sucker!" Raph points to us and Leo slams on the pedal, with me focused on the van as it's starting to get away. Together, the both of us knock the van off its wheels, causing the box holding the lens to fall. The van rolls to a stop and we step up to the Kraang.

"Halt, Kraang!" Leo declares.

"The halting of Kraang is not a thing that the ones who are turtles and Amelia will be doing to Kraang," One of them, who is disguised, clenches a fist.

"Wrong! The halting of Kraang is exactly the thing that the ones who are-oh, just halt!" Leo got tired of all the Kraang talk.

"Which do we save first, the world or the English language?" Donnie wonders and I raise a hand.

"Am I allowed to say both?"

Raph drags the heavy box over to us. "I got the lens!"

Suddenly, we get a guest: the same roach. It lands on top of the van and the Kraang turn their attention on him. Raph screams, dropping the box and hiding behind all of us. It cracks its neck and grabs a laser gun, firing it at the Kraang. They immediately return the attack and Raph gasps, running away. The lasers hit the plastron of the roach, but they have no effect on him whatsoever. He fires back at them, knocking them all down. He jumps down from the van, turning to his next target, us.

"Mikey, Donnie, you take the roach," Leo orders, turning to me. "Ames, you and Raph are coming with me." He then realizes that Raph is not there, looking around for his brother. "Raph? Raph!"

I glance behind at the Shellraiser to see Raph staring at us. He darts back to hide behind the wheel. I take a glance at Leo, not sure if I should tell him or not. Raph's not open about his fears, and he's not the type to face them immediately.

Leo and I drag the lens while the other two are dealing with the roach. Leo falls onto the ground as flying Kraang are firing at us. One of them lands in front of us and Leo grabs my hand, running off. We run through an alley as two Kraang are chasing after us.

"Raph, where are you? Raph, are you hearing me? Raph!" Leo calls out.

"Raph!" I yell and I know it's a long shot that he'd come out. I turn around and make my hands glow blue, firing little ice daggers rapidly at the two.

"Yes, get 'em, Ames!" Leo shouts as he grabs my shoulder, pulling me away slightly so I don't get hit. I eventually hit one dead on as they keep flying around my blasts. The one I hit is knocked down on the ground while Leo takes care of the other one, slicing it into pieces. One of the heads remain on one of his swords. I sigh in relief and Leo hugs me, spinning me around. I laugh at him and he pulls me towards him, kissing me softly for a few seconds. "I'm so proud of you, my little blossom."

I blush at the nickname, giggling. "I only knocked down a Kraang..."

"Yeah, but your powers are amazing...plus I wanted to kiss you."

"Gee, thanks for the honesty," I look up at him in amusement as we get out of the alley. The roach is gone and Raph's standing near the other two turtles.

"Now where's the diamond?" Donnie asks and Raph rubs his neck sheepishly.

"Uh..."

"Raph lost it," Leo remarks, Raph turning to us. "Raph, where were you?" Leo points his katana at him.

"What's up with the disappearing act?" I ask as I remove the head from Leo's sword. I kick it onto my knees like a soccer ball and it lands in a dumpster. "Yes!" I cheer as I pump my fist, seeing the other turtles staring at me. I laugh nervously before clearing my throat. "Raph, where'd you run off to?"

"I was busy," Raph retorts, but we both know that's not true.

"Busy cowering in terror," Leo elaborates. Raph looks away, staying silent. "We gotta find the drill before the Kraang cracks open Manhattan like an egg!"

We run off to the Shellraiser and I look back at Raph as he's sighing. I glance at Leo inside before I run up to Raph, hugging him. He stiffens as if he's not hugged often, but he returns it slowly. "Hey...just hang in there, Raph. You're strong. You can do this," I look up at his surprised face. "Okay?"

"...Sure...thanks ice princess."

"Don't call me ice princess," I huff, walking back to the car and getting in. We drive away from a fire to get to where the Kraang are gonna drill the Earth.

"You blew it, Raph," Leo scolds, Raph looking up. "You gotta get your head together."

"Leo!" I hiss at him to be nice. Raph's been through a lot the past few hours, I would think that Leo would be a little more understanding.

"It's okay, ice princess, I know," Raph whispers as I glance at him from behind. "This stupid phobia's gonna end up getting the whole team killed. Listen...I'm...I'm sorry, you guys."

My eyes soften as he's apologizing for being afraid. Imagine if it was me unable to face my fear of hurting people...I'd be remorseful, but I also would want to let my emotions out at the same time.

"Guys," Donnie appears on the screen next to Leo and the one above me. "Here's a map of known Kraang facilities, and here's a map of the fault lines in New York City. Now, if the Kraang are gonna drill into the Earth's crust, then this is where they do it." A blip appears as two lines cross.

"Alright then, guys," Leo glances at them while I drive. "We've got a little more time left before the Kraang start drilling." Raph stares at the ground, saying nothing. I sigh a little at this. We continue driving until we hear a thump and then what sounds like drilling?

"What's that sound?" Raph asks, Mikey picking at his ear.

"I don't see anything outside," Donnie states and I look up.

"Uhh, actually," I point up to my screen as the cockroach is hiding underneath the van.

"Uh oh. He's back."

Raph leans in close to Donnie. "What?! Where? Where the heck is he? He's underneath the van. He's underneath the van!" He hugs Donnie in fear.

"Oh, I'm sure that he can't do anything from there," I wave it off and the Shellraiser skids to a stop. "You know what, I take that back, screw that thing."

"He cut the drive shaft?!" Raph asks in surprise. Donnie pushes Raph off of him.

"How does he keep finding us?" Leo asks in exasperation.

"Hmm," Donnie places a hand at his chin in thought. "Well, he could be using the homing signal I set up so Spy Roach could find its way back to the van."

"There's a homing signal?" Leo demands as the rest of us surround him.

"Dude, even I would've turned that off," Mikey remarks.

"Wait," I chuckle slightly, "You put a homing signal in a roach that was mutated, and it could've been turned off or even disabled by conventional means. So, the _whole time_ , you could've figured that out and turned it off. Anyone could've figured that out because like you told us, it had a camera. It wasn't just him finding us by luck. It was just a regular homing signal that could've been turned off at any point in time. The _entire reason_ , the chasing around that this roach has been doing was a problem that literally could've been solved _hours_ ago!"

"Amy," Donnie says nervously. "I've been a little distracted!"

"Wow. Freakin. Wow. We're being chased around by a roach who could've backed off a long time ago because YOU DIDN'T THINK OF THE HOMING SIGNAL THAT COULD'VE STOPPED THIS PROBLEM?! What even is this?!" My head grows larger in anger as the other turtles back away. Like, do you understand why I'm so baffled? After this, I just need to shower for 20 minutes and think, how does something like this even happen with Donnie, the smartest one in the group?

I sigh to calm myself down, Donnie shrinking. "Please don't hurt me."

"Are you done?" Leo places a hand on my shoulder and I shake my head.

"Yeah...sorry for the rant, Donnie."

"...Whoa." Raph blinks as he's never seen that from me of all people.

"It's okay, I understand your frustration..." Donnie types away. "Maybe I can use the signal to tap into his camera to see what he sees.

"None of this makes sense, why is he so mad at us?" Raph wonders.

"And...got it," Donnie taps enter and we see an image of Raph going to stab the roach, repeatedly. We look in shock, Raph blinking.

"Oh crud," He says in disbelief.

"I don't think he's mad at us," Donnie looks at him. "I think he's mad at you."

"Ya think?! This is because Raph tried to kill it!" I run a hand through my hair. Leo kisses my forehead and I blush, giggling. "Thanks."

"No problem...you were about to freeze the Shellraiser anyway."

"Sorry," I smile sheepishly at him.

"Wow, that stinks for someone who's afraid of roaches," Mikey replies to Raph, who has his mouth in a thin line of annoyance.

"Irony, got it, thanks. So are there any more surprises?" There is, as a saw appears in front of him, knocking him off his feet. "He has a saw?!" He dodges it, standing up as his hands are on his head. "The cockroach has a saw!"

Leo comes in and cuts off the 'scary saw.' Mikey points to it knowingly. "Not anymore. Donnie, the rest of us will keep the roach busy."

"We will?!" Raph asks in fear. Leo grabs him by the plastron

"Yes!" He turns back to Donnie. "You gotta fix the Shellraiser fast, like yesterday fast." We head outside, Raph holding onto Leo's arm as he looks around frantically. He must be really afraid if he's hugging Leo's arm like that. We hear something and turn around. "Hey Spy Roach! Raph's out here! Come and get him!" Leo calls out.

"Really? You're using me as bait?!" Raph questions in disbelief.

"Yup," Leo answers bluntly. Spy Roach makes himself known as he lands in front of us. As he steps closer, Leo and Mikey run, Raph screaming. We leave him for Spy Roach to take and he screams, Spy Roach threatening to shoot a laser gun that he still had from the Kraang. Leo and Mikey jump down from above, trapping him in a trash can and hitting it repeatedly, but it breaks out, knocking the two turtles down.

"Are you okay?" I ask in shock and Leo nods slowly. I stand up and hold out my arms, a snow flurry appearing around me. I trap the roach inside and form two blocks of ice from left and right. I throw my arms together so that the blocks slam into him, but nothing. I throw up my hands, forming another block above him and slam it onto his head, but it breaks in half. "What?!" The flurry disappears and he continues going after Raph, who's running away.

"Not afraid, not afraid, not afraid!" I hear as I help Leo and Mikey up. When we catch up with him, Raph's cowering in an alley. Mikey decides to do something that's not gonna sit well as he goes on ahead, leaving Leo and I behind. Leo smirks at me.

"What?" I ask in confusion.

"You just look really pretty today," He kisses my cheek.

"Aww, you're so sweet," I smile at him.

"Anything to make sure that you're happy...and that you're not losing control of your powers because of me."

I'm confused, where did he get that from? "Huh?"

"When Raph and I were sparring before we confessed, he told me that you were freezing everything. That you weren't yourself," He frowns in worry. "I don't want that to happen because of something I did. You should be happy, and...I don't want you to shut us out because of your powers."

"Leo..." I murmur, touched. "Just because that happened doesn't mean you have to go overboard for me," I hold his hand. "I appreciate it, but...do it because you want to, not because you have to. I only really lose control if I'm pushed to the test. You saw how I was with Donnie...but I won't shut you out. I promise," I hug him and I feel him smiling, hugging me back.

"Good," He kisses my forehead and I laugh. "If you're worried about your powers, talk to me, okay?"

"I will," I lean in and peck his lips. Mikey suddenly comes in and Leo holds Raph back from attacking him.

"Ow!" Mikey exclaims, rubbing his shell. "So much for learning your lesson."

"Nice job, Raph," Leo pats Raph's shoulder.

"What are you talking about? Where's the bug?"

"Take a look," I gesture to the roach behind us, which is covered in cement. Raph laughs in relief, leaning in.

"Stuck, huh?" He taps the hilt against the head. "Not so tough now, are you, roachie? You're just a..." The body starts falling apart. "Hollow shell...what the?" He stares down at it, Mikey touching one of the fallen arms.

"He must've molted," Leo rubs his neck in confusion.

"They molt?" Raph asks, turning to me. "You're the daughter of scientists."

"Yes, because roaches shed their skin when..." I turn around. "They get...bigger..."

"Dudette, you're not kidding," Mikey comments and Raph turns around to see a larger version of the roach with blue skin, slimy arms, and tentacle jaws.

"A cockroach. Why did it have to be a cockroach?" Raph asks in fear and a pair of wings form. It flies up into the air, roaring at us. "And it flies."

"Run!" Leo yells and we do just that, the roach flying after us. We all scream, Raph tripping as he looks up. The roach then snatches him.

"Raph!" I call out and we wait for him by the Shellraiser. A few seconds later, he's running towards us.

"Start the engine, start the engine!"

We all climb inside, Leo and I taking our seats. "Donnie, did you get this thing working?" Leo calls out, Donnie turning around.

"We've got bigger problems," He shows us the plan for the drill. "We gotta stop that drill!" Raph sees Spy Roach on his screen and looks in disgust, screaming as he rapidly fires the garbage from the rooftop cannon rapidly like he did with the manhole covers. Every single one bounces off of the roach. "What the?!"

He appears at the front door and I immediately get out of my seat, Mikey kicking it back. "Ha!" I flick my hand and throw a sharp dagger at it, but that bounces off too. "Take that!"

Donnie slams the engine and we take off, leaving Spy Roach behind. "You know, ever since I started living with you, I thought I've seen too much. That," I point outside. "Is a deal breaker."

"I had my chance and I couldn't face him," Raph says in regret. "I just...couldn't do it."

"Look at the bright side. In 15 minutes, we could all melt in a fountain of lava," Mikey pauses as soon as he says that. "Okay, that sounded brighter in my head."

"That doesn't sound bright in anyone's head," I pinch my nose and Donnie looks up at his computer as he's taking a peek at the layout of the building.

"The laser drill is just past the front gate. Kraang droids everywhere. Hope you have a good plan."

"I'm gonna ram through the gate and we'll go from there," Leo explains.

"Works for me!" Donnie agrees and Leo glances at Raph next to him. Raph looks at him and they say nothing as Raph hides his head. "Uh oh." Raph looks up and I groan at what I see. "We got company...again."

"This guy doesn't give up, does he?" I glance at Raph and there's a noise coming from the roof.

"What was that? Where is it?" Raph looks around rapidly. The van shakes a little and I slowly step up to the roof cannon, looking up at it.

"What...?" I murmur as he seems to be doing something on the roof. The next thing I know, the roach stretches its arm and grabs me since I'm the closest. "Eep!"

"It's got Amy!" Donnie screams and I yell as I'm dangling in the air. I try and twist my arm to make him let go, but nothing.

"Let go of me, you creep!" I shout, wiggling around in the sky. The Shellraiser is in my sights and it suddenly turns around, emitting smoke as a bike zooms past us. It's the Stealth Bike, being ridden by Raph himself. He comes to a stop.

"Hey, you up there!" Raph stands up. "Looking for me?"

The roach throws me away onto the roof of the van. I smile at the turtle. "Thanks Raph!" I jump inside and we take off to go for the Kraang, leaving Raph with the roach. I hope he'll be okay and that he can take it on without fearing it. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself...which is something that I should take into consideration given my own problems.

We're almost at the building and we can see the doors closing as they're trying to block us out. "Alright, guys, get ready," Leo declares, "We're going in!"

The Kraang fire at us, but we ram past them. Unfortunately, it's too late as the doors get us stuck, jerking us forward. We can't use the roof to get out, or the doors. The wheels are too big for us to move forward or backwards, and since Raph has the Stealth Bike, there's no other way for us to get out to stop them. Which means...

"Are we in?" Mikey asks in pain. The Kraang fire at us.

"No!" Leo calls Raph. "Raph, we're stuck! It's up to you! Get the drill!"

"I'm on it!" Raph reports, meaning that he dealt with the roach no problem. That's great and all, but we can't do anything on our end. I don't wanna freeze the Shellraiser and break it, since it's Donnie's invention and he'd get mad at me. Let's just hope that Raph can get there in time or else we'll be melted.

A few minutes later, the Kraang are rammed down by the Stealth Bike and the doors open, allowing us to back up. Raph gets inside as we turn around and get the shell out of there, our job done.

* * *

Raph is using the punching dummy, Leo holding my hand as I have my head rested on his shoulder. Mikey's playing with the pinball game and Leo looks up at his brother. "Well, Raph, you faced your fear and saved the city. Not bad for a Wednesday."

"Face my fear?" Raph asks in excitement, turning to us. "I conquered my fear!" He pulls Mikey towards him. "I looked my fear in the eye, and I zapped it to oblivion."

"Wow..." Mikey says in awe, his eyes shining. When he says it like that, it does sound pretty awesome. Raph drops Mikey, spinning his sai. "So you're not afraid of cockroaches anymore, huh?" Mikey grins as he puts an arm around Raph.

"Nope."

"Good, good...then you won't mind the one I just slipped into your shell."

Raph's eyes widen slowly, one of them twitching. He runs around screaming, the rest of us laughing. Looks like he hasn't really faced his fear fully after all...oh well. At least it can give us some entertainment. Let's just pray that he won't go after us after this.

* * *

Leo's sitting at my desk in my room, as we're taking selfies together. I wanted to change my profile picture on my T-Phone, and he thought it was a good idea. After a few minutes of picture taking, Leo's looking deep into my eyes.

"You close enough?" I ask sarcastically.

"No," He replies with a smirk. I'm about to ask him why, but he smashes his lips against mine, sparking something passionate within me. I wrap my arms around his neck and he pulls me into his lap. His tongue gently caresses my lips, begging for entry. I let him in, and moan quietly at his warm touch. His lips are so soft, I don't wanna pull away...because then I'd miss this feeling...He stands up and I wrap my legs around his waist. He throws me up against the wall with such a force that made me want to melt. I feel his hands around my waist, gripping it firmly. He then moves one of his hands so that he's tugging at my hair so gently, my heart would burst.

He then pulls away, pressing his lips to my neck softly. "L-Leo," I say breathlessly and he hums a yes as he's kissing my neck. "I've never seen you like this before..."

He only sucks in response, making me breathe heavily and grip his shoulders. After a few more minutes, he gently puts me down, my mind and heart racing.

"Wow..." I murmur in awe, tugging at his mask tails.

"I know," Leo smiles slightly before looking at something. "Your hair is a mess."

"Is it really?" I giggle as I touch my head, feeling the strands a little messed up near my forehead and my bow is a little loose.

"Hm," Leo tugs at my bow, letting my hair fall down to my knees. "I like it better this way."

"Shut up," I shove him slightly and he laughs.

"Ah, you've wounded me!"

"I did not, you're perfectly fine," I roll my eyes playfully. He didn't even fall. Leo smirks as he approaches me again.

"You'll pay for that," He hugs my waist, nuzzling my nose.

"Hmm, I don't think I have anything you want," I trace his plastron, poking him on the nose. "You already have Space Heroes merchandise."

He laughs again and I smile, liking his laugh. It's like a melody to music that can't be repeated. "Not that, Ames...not that." He leans in and kisses me again. I hug his neck as I close my eyes, never wanting to forget this moment...


	19. Baxter's Gambit

**Angel: For those of you watching Rise of TMNT or reading my story about it, I have some news! They're supposedly airing a new episode...January 26th. So, in a month and four freakin' days we get a new episode? I understand that they need a hiatus right now, but THAT long? And I think it's another special since it's about Baron Draxum again XD**

We're spying on the Kraang as we were alerted to their presence, standing on a rooftop nearby. One of them is holding a suspicious weapon as Donnie examines it further. "Whoa! That's a sub-spatial endoparticle disrupter."

"Wow, that's heavy duty right there," I murmur, putting a finger to my chin.

"Gonna have to explain if that's 'oh no' or yay," Leo tells us.

"In the hands of the Kraang, it's a definite oh no," Donnie explains in worry.

"Why? What does it do?" Mikey asks as he's sitting on a window pane.

"The disrupter can de-synchronize subatomic resonances, which invert polymolecular structures, causing them to implode," Donnie states and Mikey looks confused.

"It makes things go boom," Raph elaborates to him.

"Technically, it makes things go zwee-choooooo!" Donnie and I both make a popping sound. The other turtles stare at us, blinking at what we just did.

"It's important to be accurate," Donnie replies and I nod.

"Yeah, Donnie's right. Not gonna apologize for that," We turn back to the Kraang as we figure out a plan.

"Okay, guys, get in position," Leo orders, our eyes white. "Ready," Leo shifts his foot.

"Let's just do this!" Raph interrupts, wanting to fight the alien robots. We backflip from the building onto the ground, but then we get unexpected guests: Fishface, Dogpound, and the Foot. What are they doing here? We all stare at each other, confused. "Kraang and Fishface and Dogpound? I must be dreaming, pinch me."

Mikey does just that. "Ow!" He hits Mikey against the head with a fist.

"Ow, you said!"

We all charge into the fight, the Kraang firing at us. We deal with them first as Raph kicks one down, Mikey doing the same. Leo spins around and kicks a ninja, flipping and knocking down another one. He lands on one and thrusts himself to the ninja's back so he can knock him down. He winks at me and I giggle at his move. He approaches the back of the truck to get the disrupter, but two Kraang threaten to stop him. Dogpound punches them away and Leo, who backflips and lands at the wall. He spins, kicking Dogpound to the floor.

Donnie swings his staff, knocking out Kraang. He yells as he spins his staff, sweep kicking a Kraang. One of them starts firing at him and he flips around, distracting it as Mikey attacks, knocking down the robot. He turns around and dodges a weapon from a ninja, yelling as he kicks two away. He spins around in the air as two Kraang surround him, kicking them both down simultaneously.

Raph slides underneath Fishface, spinning around and jumping over a fire extinguisher. Fishface goes in for the attack, but Raph jumps away, jumping from a staircase to the edge of a building. He jumps at Fishface, knocking him out.

A Kraang fires at a building and I stomp my foot, creating a mini ice rink. "Oh yeah!" Mikey cheers as I skate using my boots, distracting two Kraang long enough for me to sweep my arms towards them, creating jagged spikes to appear from the floor. They pierce the bodies of the aliens dead on and I slide to a stop. Hopefully no one was on the building they shot at.

Mikey sees a Kraang take the disrupter and yelps as it fires straight at Mikey. Donnie pushes him out of the way. Instead, the blast hits a car and it makes the exact same sound that Donnie and I described. The car disappears into particles.

"Whoa," Mikey says in awe, grinning at Donnie and I. "Donnie, dudette, you totally called it, bro." Donnie is just panting as he's out of breath.

"Told you," I tell him and as a ninja is kicked away, the Kraang escape. He turns to us as we're dealing with Dogpound and Fishface.

"Guys, we gotta move." I tap his shoulder and point forward as Raph and Fishface are still fighting each other. The turtle doesn't even seem to realize that our targets are already gone. "Raph, now!"

Raph pushes Fishface away. "Yes, run along now, boy...and senorita," He winks at me and runs off, Raph growling lowly.

"This isn't over, Fishface!" Raph declares and we run away as the police sirens go off in the distance.

* * *

We're sitting in front of Splinter as he's standing behind us. I'm sitting next to Leo, as the order is Donnie, Mikey, Raph, Leo, and then me. Donnie looks focused as Splinter holds a wooden sword over him. We're doing a practice to see if we can anticipate what's coming to us. Splinter raises the sword and Donnie moves, but not fast enough as Splinter hits him on the head.

"Oh! Oh man!" Donnie places a hand on his head. Mikey's next as he keeps his eyes forward, Splinter raising the sword above his head. Mikey flinches, but Splinter doesn't strike. He glances back at Sensei and flinches again. He flinches a third time and looks up.

"Just so we're clear, Sensei, you are planning on swinging, right? Ow!" His question is answered as he gets a hit to the head. He rubs it as Splinter approaches Raph. He looks up at Splinter, ready to move, but he gets hit anyway.

"Ow!"

He looks away as he rubs his head and Splinter stands behind Leo. He raises it, but Leo's eyes widen as Splinter lowers the sword. Leo rolls out of the way, flipping.

"Yes!" He cheers, pumping a fist. Now it's my turn. I close my eyes with a deep breath and move out of the way, opening my eyes as I see Splinter's wooden sword in his hand. But I know I didn't get hit, so that means I did it!

"Yay!" I exclaim, hugging Leo and he laughs.

"What is the point of this, anyway?" Raph asks, not seeing the point.

"Evading a sword you cannot see demonstrates an ability to sense your enemy's intention," Splinter says as he holds the sword in front of Raph.

"I already know my enemy's intention, Sensei. To take me down," Raph explains, and that's not entirely true. Some enemies have different motives like greed or respect, whether we interfere or not.

"Knowing that your enemy will strike is a given. But sensing when he will strike can mean the difference between victory and defeat," Splinter states, Raph closing his eyes.

"Hai, Sensei." We all bow as he goes off to his room, the session over. Leo stands up and takes my hand.

"Come on, I wanna give you something."

"Ooo," The other turtles tease, puckering their lips. Leo huffs at them and I decide to follow him so they can stop teasing. But mostly because I wanna see what he's gonna give me.

He leads me into his room, which is pretty nice and neat. There's nothing out of place in here. I just realized it's the first time I've been in here...we're usually in my room. I'm so curious about everything that I don't even notice him rummaging around in his drawers.

"Here..." He holds out a book and I gasp in awe.

"Space Heroes issue one with the signature from the creator?!" I fangirl as I look at it. It's so rare that even I don't have it and given how much of a fan I am, that's saying a lot. I could never really afford one of these since I'm usually losing bids. Also, sometimes they're too much money that there's no way I could possibly get one when they do appear on bidding sites. I cover my mouth in shock as I look up at Leo. "Wait...is this...?"

"Yeah...this is for you," He smiles gently.

"Leo...I-I can't take this, that's a collector's item..."

"You're worth much more than this book to me," Leo grins as he puts it into my hands. "I want you to have it."

"W-Wow..." I murmur as I stare at its beauty and he chuckles, hugging me from behind so he doesn't damage it. "Are you...are you sure you wanna give this to me?"

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't be giving it to you," He kisses my cheek softly and I grin, feeling...feeling on top of the world that he gave this to me...I look up at him to meet my lips with his and he kisses back softly, cupping my cheek.

* * *

The turtles and I are on patrol as we're near Chinatown, Leo and Donnie running on the edge of a rooftop. Raph and Mikey follow from down below, using the fire escape to jump up to the edge and follow the rest of us. I use the sign below me to land there, jumping and landing near the window. We come to a stop.

"I got eyes on one giant dog and fish. 6 o'clock," Donnie reports and I follow his eyesight as Mikey pops up from behind.

"Where?! Oh man, it's just Fishface and Dogpound."

It is them, but...there's something off. First, they're out in the open, something they haven't done since they were turned into mutants. And second, they seem to be waiting for something as they're looking around the corner.

"What are they doing out in the open like this?" Leo questions as he's just as skeptical as me. "I think we should proceed with caution, guys...Guys?" However, when he looks around, they're not there. I point down to see the turtles already fighting the two. "Oh, man," He sighs wearily.

"We might as well help 'em," I sigh slowly, as they'd do it regardless of order. Plus, having them here out of the open is a little weird. Leo and I jump down to help as we take on Dogpound, Raph dealing with Fishface alone.

"Where were we? Oh, yeah, I was turning you into fish sticks," Raph twirls his sais.

"Actually, I believe I was turning you into turtle soup."

I roll my eyes at their banter. Seriously, it's like they share a mind and that scares me. Raph spins and kicks Fishface away, Dogpound landing on the floor. Leo points his katanas at him. "Stay. Good dog."

Dogpound growls at the command and pushes Leo's sword away, running off with Fishface. Okay...this is new. When have the two ever run away from us? Usually, it's the other way around if they prove to be too strong for us. They're usually too confident to run away and always wanna capture us for Shredder, so I don't know why they're just dropping everything and running. Especially since they work for a powerful villain who would stop at nothing to destroy us. Wouldn't he be, I dunno, angry?

"Look! We've got 'em on the run!" Mikey exclaims.

"Oh, they're not getting off that easy!" Raph starts to chase after them, but the rest of us don't follow.

"Raph, wait! Something's not right!" Leo calls out.

"Yeah, you talking while they're getting away," Raph retorts back.

"Dude, think about this. Those two are running from us? Don't you think it's a little weird?" I question and Raph turns back to me.

"So what? Come on!" We run after him, some of us a little warily. I don't like this at all, it unsettles me.

"This way!" Raph runs into a warehouse, where there's no sign of them.

"Alright," We hear, turning to see Dogpound and Fishface coming out of hiding. "You got us."

"This is way too easy," Leo comments suspiciously, and I have to agree.

"Why would they give up and lead us here...unless-"

"Why are you two always worrying?" Raph asks in irritation and we hear a whirring noise as a red circle surrounds us. It transforms into a black and white walled structure. "Oh, I see." I smack him on the head for not listening. "Ow!"

Dogpound and Fishface are grinning at their supposed victory. All we can see is black and white, and nothing else. "Careful guys, this may be a trap," Mikey warns, Donnie glancing at him.

"Welcome, contestants!" We hear a voice from a speaker above us. "I'm so glad you could join us tonight!"

"Blister Stockboy?" Leo asks in confusion and I stifle a laugh as that's not even close to being correct.

"It's Baxter Stockman. I'm your arch nemesis," He corrects in a snarky tone and I roll my eyes at his arrogance. He's not really an arch nemesis, he's not nearly as dangerous as Shredder or the Kraang, really. He relies too much on his technology to be a major threat in my opinion.

"I can totally think of five nemesises way archer than him," Mikey comments to Donnie.

"You'll be playing for the ultimate prize, your lives in the all-new, family-friendly, incredibly deadly maze of doom."

On the outside, we're groaning in boredom. Honestly, he rivals Donnie in lectures, and I'm only saying that lightly. However, deadly does not mix with all new and family-friendly. We hear a whoosh from above and look up as missiles are firing above us. We scramble around to get away from them and they start aiming for Dogpound and Fishface too.

"You fool! What are you doing?" Fishface demands, glaring.

"I'm sick of your freaks," Stockman spits at them, "You treat me like dirt, threaten me. Well, Baxter Stockman doesn't make threats."

I glare at Dogpound and Fishface as this is their fault. If they weren't so abusive towards him, this could've been prevented, the jerks. I know it's Stockman, but I don't wanna be stuck in here listening to his lectures, they're more boring than Donnie's. So yeah, I'm mad about them causing all of this, and I hope they take this and shove it up their butts or else I'll do it for them.

"Have you gone mad?!"

"Mad?" Stockman laughs evilly. "I'm full-on mega crazy!"

"You traitor!" Dogpound declares, clenching a fist.

"And even if you make it through my maze alive, you'll still have to face my monster of-"

"Doom?" Leo interrupts in boredom. "Is it a monster of doom?" I giggle and he smiles slightly. I can tell he did it because of Stockman, but also because I needed a good laugh, so I'll thank him later. Not that I'm still not angry, but still, it is a little frustrating of why this happened.

"No!" Stockman immediately denies. He's so predictable when it comes to this kind of stuff... "Uh...monster of, uh...uh...oh, the heck with it!"

Suddenly the floor opens up so that we fall through it. We all scream as we don't know where we'll land or even if we'll fall forever...

* * *

When we do land, it's the same type of floor, but checkered style. The other turtles roll a stop as Leo jumps up and catches me in his arms, flipping so that he lands on the floor. I sigh in relief as he puts me down, Raph looking up. "Where in the-"

Raph's interrupted as Dogpound and Fishface are the last ones to land in the room or tunnel or whatever this is supposed to be. Dogpound shakes his head rapidly. "Where were we?" He jumps at us.

"Total turtle and female takedown," Fishface challenges as Dogpound goes in to punch Raph, who moves out of the way. Leo jumps to attack, but Dogpound throws him away using his strength. Donnie, Mikey, and I attack him next, with Raph facing Fishface, again. He spins, kicking the mutant fish as Leo lands on the ground.

"Are you okay?" I ask him in slight concern, helping him up.

"Yeah," He tells me, and we look to see laser pendulums appearing from the ceiling. "What is...?"

I turn around as more of them appear, and no one has noticed them yet, which is odd given that they're ninjas. Or, some of them are, anyway.

"Uh oh. This can't be good," Leo cringes as more emerge and Raph pushes Fishface out of the way.

"Watch out!" He saves him from being impaled. "I saved you why, calamari boy?" Hmm, now I want calamari...

"Everyone, I suggest a fight rain check," Leo calls out.

"Never," Dogpound denies and I glare at him. He runs up to Mikey and Donnie. "We do this now." He turns around as a pendulum is coming straight for him. Leo throws his small knife so that the pendulum changes direction, narrowly missing the dog mutant. One of his spikes breaks off and he gasps.

"If we keep fighting, we are never gonna get out of here alive," Leo informs Dogpound.

"If I die in this maze because you wanna fight us, I will haunt you both for the rest of your lives until you die and you're brought to hell," I grin widely at the two mutants. "So unless you want that for yourselves, back. Off." They nod slowly in fear and Donnie points up ahead.

"The exit. There." We see an exit at the other side of the tunnel. Dogpound pushes past us.

"Follow me!" We all glare at him, but we follow anyway so that we can run past the pendulums or at least jump and slide past them. Leo and I come to a stop as there's no pendulum there, waiting for the one of in front of us to move. Raph stops next to Leo.

"Leo, ice princess, you don't think we can trust them, do you?" He wonders as a pendulum passes by right in front of them.

"Of course not," I say as we continue running.

"But it's our only option." We all jump over the next pendulum.

"Well what do we do when they turn on us? Because they will turn on us," Raph points out.

"We'll just have to trust that we'll see it coming first," Leo runs on ahead as Raph shakes his head, as Splinter said something similar and Raph was skeptical about it.

The turtles and I are walking behind Fishface and Dogpound, to keep an eye on them in case they do anything. Fishface glances back at us.

"I have my eye on you, turtles and Pinkie," He says as a threat and I snarl at the nickname. I kinda wish that didn't get around and if I could, I'd punch him, but I won't. As much as I hate to say it, we have to work together to get out of here—alive. We step into a circular floored room and Dogpound sniffs the area.

"Fresh air, coming from that direction," He reports and we come to a stop near Fishface. He gestures forward.

"Uh, please, after you. Ladies first," He offers to me and I cross my arms, raising an eyebrow.

"No no, you go ahead. I insist," I give him a strained smile.

"What's the matter? You don't trust me?" He replies innocently.

"If you think we're gonna turn our backs to you, you're nuts," Raph points to his head. "So cut the attempted chivalry with my sister."

I give him a surprised look at that. Since when did Raph start calling me his sister...?

"I know. We go like this: Amy, turtle, turtle, jerk, turtle, turtle, jerk. Wait, no," Mikey shakes his head. "Amy, jerk, turtle, jerk, jerk—no, too many jerks." Suddenly, silver orbs manifest from the ceiling, flying above us.

"Balls! Of doom." Leo says expectantly.

"What are those?" Dogpound questions as we look up. Red spikes come from them, flying towards us.

"Not good," Leo comments, "Let's move it!"

"Me first!" Fishface calls out and Leo dodges one with his shell.

"Doom balls! Run!" We all dash around the room as Mikey ducks from one. He looks up at another and rolls onto the ground. It starts following him and he smacks it with his nunchuck. Dogpound jumps back while Donnie swings at one, but it sticks to his staff due to the spikes. He runs away from one while I swing my sword at one. We all run as a group, Raph throwing his shuriken at all four of them, causing them to explode. We stumble into another room, but it's dark. Donnie sighs in relief before he sees the ball on his staff. He yelps and carefully removes it, where it rolls away. Not sure where it ended up, but hopefully that's the last we'll see of it.

"Ughhh," I complain as we walk down the tunnel, Dogpound panting. "This guy needs an evil interior decorator. Seriously, black and white is too limited! My eyes are gonna bleed!"

"Hey!" Stockman yells at me and I blow a raspberry.

Leo laughs at my slight rant. Dogpound sniffs around as Leo looks exhausted. "Wait, we've been here before!"

"He's right," Donnie speaks up, "We've been going in circles!"

"Donnie, are you sure-" A big metal wall comes in out of nowhere, closing Raph and Fishface off to the opposite side! "Hey!" I can hear Raph pounding on it.

"Time to split you guys up!" Stockman declares and I roll my eyes silently. What reason does he have for that? Leo and I slice at the walls, but nothing. Not even a scratch. "You're wasting your time, Amelia and Leonardo. Those walls are magnetically sealed."

I hold out my arms, forming spikes onto the floor to hit the wall, but nothing. "Huh?" I then try to freeze the wall, but it has no effect, not even a speck of ice appears. I thrust my arms towards the wall, spikes flying from the floor to hit the wall open, but nope.

"Nice try, Amelia, but I'm prepared for that too!" He brags, laughing and I grunt in annoyance at his attitude.

"I hope you're prepared for me to kick your butt when we get out of here!" I threaten and Donnie pulls out his T-Phone.

"I tried that already, Donnie. There's no signal," Leo points out.

"I know," Donnie waves us over. "I'm reconfiguring the T-Phone's internal magnet so that it can detect ambient A/C current. We can use it to trace our way back to Baxter."

"You have a point there," I murmur in thought. "Dogpound was able to sniff out air, so there must be air conditioning powering all of this up somewhere close by..."

Leo leans towards Mikey and Dogpound. "You two, keep Stinkman talking."

"No problemo," Mikey states, putting his hand towards his mouth. "Hey Baxton!"

"It's Baxter," Stockman corrects, but honestly, who cares? Donnie leads the way as he uses his T-Phone and I whine, falling comically on the floor.

"Noooo." I mutter, "Too much black and white, man. I don't wanna see anymore..."

Leo rolls his eyes playfully and picks me up piggyback style. I giggle and wrap my arms around him as he walks forward. "Better?"

"Mm, a little," I kiss his cheek. "But the colors bother me."

Leo shrugs slowly, as he can't do anything about that, and I don't expect him to. "So I was wondering, what made you interested in a career of super villainy?" Mikey calls out.

"Well, since you won't be around to read my autobiography, I'll tell you." I scoff at the fact that he thinks people are gonna read that. "I was a frail and delicately sensitive young child."

"Well, there's a surprise," Dogpound mutters under his breath.

"Ha!" I laugh at 'frail and delicately.'

"That's when I decided to develop my greatest power, my technological genius." Aside from Donnie, who's concentrating on the phone, everyone else looks bored at his story.

"Oh, good grief," Mikey complains.

"Hm," I hum in content as I hug Leo's neck.

"How are you doing?" Leo asks in slight concern.

"Honestly? I'm tired of this maze already," I deadpan and he chuckles slightly. "Stockman's gonna get the beatdown of a lifetime when we find him for trapping us in here and making me look at this simplistic black and white."

"Obviously, they're too plain for my Ames," Leo smirks in amusement.

"You make it seem like I'm uptight," I pout slightly.

"You're not," Leo dismisses it. "You just hate seeing all the black and white. I don't like it that much either, it's too plain."

"See, I knew you would understand," I pat him on the shoulder before frowning in worry. "I hope that Raph is okay..."

"Against Fishface?" Leo scoffs at the thought. "He can handle it. It's Raph."

"True."

A few minutes later, all of us have already lost interest into this, especially Mikey and I.

"And I built a science fair volcano, but with actual molten lava. Burnt down the whole gymnasium," Stockman laughs at the memory and my eyes widen.

"Where did he get actual molten lava?" I whisper in confusion, as you can't get that unless you travel to the Earth's core...and come back alive. And I don't think he could afford to go to Hawaii to get the lava from a volcano...

"I was expelled. And I vowed revenge on those who wronged me," Stockman finishes his villain story.

"You poor, poor man," Mikey says sarcastically and I don't think he's said that about anyone. Suddenly, a turret appears from the floor and we come to a stop, gasping. It fires a huge laser and we have to jump out of the way, Leo leaping from the ceiling and cutting the turret from the ground. Suddenly, more appear from the floor, surrounding each other in a giant circle...I back away slightly and the floor starts moving too. A laser shoots right past me and we start jumping around to avoid them. The turtles and I pull out our weapons as Leo slices one off. Mikey knocks one away and I slide while holding out my blade, cutting one off as I move past another. Dogpound just uses brute strength, Mikey jumping off of his back to get the ones in the ceiling.

Eventually, I throw my arms to the side, freezing most of the turrets. "That's some power you got there," Dogpound comments as I land near the three turtles. We all pant in exhaustion and a turret appears right in front of me, but Leo slices it in half.

"Skunkman!" Dogpound calls out. "I know you're in here somewhere!"

Suddenly, the wall breaks open as Raph and Fishface are standing there. The other turtles and I grin at them in amusement. "You enjoy your playdate?" Leo asks teasingly.

"Ha, very funny," Raph retorts and I hug him, to his surprise.

"I'm just glad that Mr. Flirty Salmon over here didn't hurt you," I whisper, glaring at the fish.

"Yeah, yeah, get off," Raph pushes me away slightly, but I can tell that he's trying to hide his grin.

Donnie bends down to the turret that Leo cut in half. "A strong ambient A/C current is coming from underneath this cannon."

Dogpound rips it out and there's nothing but bare space. The floor breaks underneath us due to the support and we end up in Baxter's lair, the same one he had from when we first met him. A spotlight shines on us and we glance up to see Stockman standing on a flying platform. "No! You were supposed to destroy each other, not work together!" He takes a breath. "No matter. You may have made it to the end of my maze, but now it's time for-"

"The bonus round?" Mikey asks excitedly.

"Yes, the bonus round...of doom!" I think I've just won a million dollars for hearing the word doom today. He reveals the same type of robot he built when he had the T-Pod. "Kneel before the awesome power of my monster..."

"Of doom," We finish wearily.

"You all think you're so clever. Let's see how clever you are when you're hit by my missiles of d...when you're hit by my missiles!" He couldn't find another word, could he? Maybe the word pain would've been better. His robot fires the lasers and we all run out of the way. Mikey flips over one, backflipping over another. Donnie rolls in the air as we're all running from lasers. Dogpound blocks a retractable arm. He fires something up to the ceiling and they turn into Mousers, Leo jumping away from one. He slices its head clean off, knocking away another one. Leo runs up to the robot and it forms snake heads from the top, firing more lasers. Leo and I jump past them. I slide past an arm and see a snake head flying towards me. I slowly backflip into the air and run up the metal as Leo jumps into the air. He stabs at the glass that shows Baxter's face. I spin around, slicing off the head, but it grows back to normal.

"What?!" Baxter glares at us before he emits a large circular laser that knocks us all down.

"How do we stop this thing?" Dogpound asks Leo, who looks at the robot, and then at the platform that Baxter's standing on.

"Mikey, Dogpound, draw it under Baxter," Leo whispers and they run towards the platform. Baxter obviously sees it and flies up into the air.

"Ha! Nice try. But you'll have to be faster than that," Baxter brags. Mikey and Dogpound glance at each other as I hold out my hands, throwing two ice daggers. However, they bounce back once hit with the platform.

"Yoo-hoo!" Mikey wiggles his fingers. "Monster of Doom! We're over here!" The robot turns around and starts running towards them. Raph and Fishface take out the rest of the Mousers, Leo turning to them.

"Raph, Fishface! There," Leo points to the platform. They nod at each other and Fishface runs first. He slides down on the floor, Raph leaping and landing on his robotic feet.

"Ready?"

"Three. Two. One!" Fishface pushes Raph into the air, allowing him to fly and stab through the platform.

"No! Stop helping each other!" Stockman shouts in frustration as the platform crashes into the robot, causing a giant explosion. When the smoke clears, there is no sign of Stockman.

"Where's Dexter?" Mikey asks in confusion.

"Fools!" We hear, looking up to see Stockman flying using his robotic helmet. "You haven't seen the last of Dexter," He growls at the mistake. "Baxter Stockman!"

Okay, I've endured enough of this. I look up at Leo. "Can I?"

"Go ahead," He holds up his hands with a smile, everyone else nodding in agreement.

"Yas!" I wait until he's near the window and throw a snowball at the helmet, causing it to break and malfunction. He screams as we hear a crash outside, the turtles high-threeing me. "Sweet payback," I grin happily.

Once we finally get out of there, we're all exhausted from the fighting and the traps that I don't think we can do much of anything. We all pant tiredly as Fishface looks up. "The truce...is over."

"Let's finish..." Dogpound stands up slightly, but he's too weary to go on. "This."

We slowly pull out our weapons. "Booyaka-" Mikey spins one of his nunchucks, but falls to the floor, yawning.

"Ah, forget it," Dogpound throws in the towel...for now. "Next time."

They start walking away and we walk away too, as we needed a nap. "You know, Raph, you and Fishface actually made a pretty good team back there," Mikey comments from their teamwork.

"He's still our enemy, Mikey, and he'll take us out the first chance he gets," Raph tells him. Suddenly, Raph comes to a stop before he pulls out his sai, stabbing through one of the doom balls from the trap, thrown by Fishface. "Trust your senses. You'll see 'em coming," Raph looks at Fishface, who grins and we watch them walk away in silence.

* * *

"Okay," I sigh slowly as I slightly hug the comic book. I can't believe he gave this to me...he must really trust me if he gave me something that's dear to him. I look at my shelf that Donnie built for me. My flower doll is on the right, with a framed picture of my parents on the left. I look at the middle, where the stand for the comic book is gonna go. I know that the turtles respect my privacy, so if they even dare to touch it, they're already risking their lives just by going into my room without permission.

I slowly place the comic book on the place I have dedicated for it and step back, admiring it. Smiling, I clap my hands together. "It looks great! Still...maybe I should give it back? It is Leo's, and I don't wanna damage it accidentally..."

"Nope."

I turn to Leo, who's leaning across my door with a look of amusement. "If you give it back, I'll just put it back and lock it. And you know that's not impossible."

"Okay, okay!" I grin in defeat, holding up my hands. "I won't."

"Good," He pecks my lips. "Because I trust you, and even if it does get less in quality, you're all I ever need."

"Aww!" I beam, hugging him. "You sure about that?"

"Yes."

I look up at him with a smirk. "You wanna touch it one last time before I seal it off?"

"Please!" He begs and I laugh. Clearly, this is one of the hardest things he's had to do, and for once, it's not regarding his leadership.


	20. Enemy of My Enemy

**Angel: I'm sorry about the delay for the update. I had to attend to an emergency and it took hours to get it finished XD And I had to help my mother out with chores, so I'm sorry.**

The turtles and I are watching TCRI again, what a shock. Donnie got some new information from that storage device Mikey found, hence why we're here. "Nothing happening at TCRI," Leo reports as he lowers the telescope.

"Yet," Donnie adds as he looks at his T-Phone.

"Yeah, this is the Kraang, Leo," I look at him. "They're bound to be commencing it eventually."

"This game is awesome," The three of us glance at Mikey as he's playing a game on his phone, what else could he be doing? "The combat is so realistic."

Raph steps up to him. "You want me to make it more realistic?" he threatens and I roll my eyes.

"Guys, stop messing around," Leo warns them.

"According to the Kraang storage device I encrypted, some kind of scouting ship is coming through the Kraang portal tonight," Donnie looks at his T-Phone.

"So we all have to stay alert," Leo says sternly, looking at Mikey, who's clearly not paying attention.

"Yeah, you never know what could sneak up on you."

"Like us!"

Karai and Jared jump down from a water, landing in front of us. They straighten themselves, resting their wrists on their weapons while grinning smugly at us. Oh great, these two again, yaaay. Yeah, still not fond of these two. Jared did attack me after all, and Karai's not exactly the friendly type.

Leo gives a mock chuckle. "Cute, Karai," He steps closer. "But I'm not in the mood."

I clear my throat at him and he backs away a feet sheepishly. Karai grips her sword while Jared grips his own, both of them unsheathing them. Without anything else to say, they move in with their weapons. Karai attacks Leo twice and twice he blocks with his katana that he quickly pulled out. She gives him a playful look and he glares at her. He puts some space between them, holding his swords horizontally.

"We don't have for this. Guys!" Leo calls out, looking past to us as we were just watching. Karai turns towards them as they pull out their weapons.

"Booyakasha!" Mikey cries out as Jared jumps towards me. I roll out of the way as Karai backs away, stopping a few feet away from the corner of the roof. Donnie strikes first, but she easily blocks it, jumps onto Donnie's shell, and leaping over their heads. Raph strikes at Jared, who jumps onto Mikey's shoulder and leaps, landing near Karai. The three turtles look at her as the two casually have their weapons on their shoulders.

"Booyakasha?" Karai laughs.

"What does that even mean?" Jared asks while chuckling.

"I don't know," Mikey shrugs, "But it's fun to yell!" He launches his chain at them. Karai catches it with her tanto, with Jared pulling it. "Whoa!" Mikey's yanked off his feet, unprepared for them using his weapon like that. He flies through the air and Jared kicks him aside, moving out of the way.

Leo swings his swords at Karai, which she blocks. She smiles at him. "You really know how to make ninjas welcome." She pushes his swords away and I catch a speechless look on his face, which Karai ignores as Jared joins her side. They point their swords at Donnie.

"We heard the scrawny one mention the Kraang," He starts off.

"What's going on?" Karai wonders.

"None of your business," Leo advances towards them.

"And I'm not scrawny," Donnie adds, also moving in. "I'm svelte!"

They dodge all of us easily. After exchanging blows with Raph, they push him away. "Aw come on, let us in on the fun," Karai puts her tanto back on her shoulder.

"Yeah, we might enjoy it better than fighting with you."

Raph's little patience grows thin. "Look, we're a little busy trying to stop the beginning of an alien invasion here, so do us a favor and get lost!"

Their playful looks turn serious and concerned. "An alien invasion?" Jared murmurs as they lower their weapons.

"Are you serious?" Karai questions seriously, which is a first. Despite her playful demeanor and Jared's...questionable motives, deep down, they can be serious when they need to be. Still, they are from the Foot.

We don't wait long as something glows nearby. We all look towards TCRI, as lightning is flashing from above, even though there was nothing in the weather forecast about lightning. The thunder echoes into the city as purple light squeezes from two sliding doors.

The moment the light vanishes, the doors slide apart, a large purple and black corridor can be seen. What comes out of it is a large floating ship with a single eye.

"This can't be good," Leo comments what we're all thinking. We watch with wide eyes as the ship glides into the air...straight towards us.

"Um, guys, I think I need to change my shell," Mikey simply says.

The eye starts to glow and the eye scans us.

"I hope you have a plan for fighting that thing," Karai says to Leo as she stands behind him. We all take a step back, Leo chuckling.

"Of course I do. Step one..." A bolt of energy shoots from the eye, striking the rooftop at our feet. "RUN!"

We leap from the building as another blast hits the roof. We all swing from balconies and fire escapes to land safely below. Since the ship can't see us, it scans the area. Leo, Karai, Jared, and I run side by side.

"What the heck was that?" She looks at Leo, who's looking over his shoulder.

"I don't know, but at the top of my head, I'd say they use it for flying and shooting at things!"

We run onto the street, another blast hitting the pavement. "Like at our shells!" Mikey calls out and we run further before turning into an alleyway and hiding behind a car parked there for some reason. We wait quietly as the ship moves past us. "Do you think it knows where we are?" Mikey asks in fear.

"Yeah. Maybe."

We all freeze as the car we were hiding behind is suddenly lifted from the ground, leaving us stupidly in the open, the ship floating right above us. We all yell in terror, jumping away from the car as it falls towards us.

"Man, we gotta get underground!" Donnie states and Leo stands up with no hesitation.

"I'll draw their fire!"

"Not alone," I narrow my eyes at him.

"Ames, no. Get back where it's safe."

I run towards the ship, flipping over a laser. Leo leaps up onto a wall and jumps off it, landing behind the ship.

"Over here, Cyclops!" Leo taunts and it fires at us. This allows Raph to lift the manhole cover, Donnie and Mikey jumping in. We're running back down the alley towards us with the ship right on our tail.

"Leo, ice princess, come on!" Raph calls out. Leo jumps off the opposite wall as he throws three shurikens, which have no effect. I throw some daggers, but they don't even make a dent. Regardless, we make our escape before the ship reaches us. Leo quickly pulls the cover over our heads and the pink ray passes over us.

We move to a storm drain as we stand on a ledge to see the ship. It hovers in place and it crackles to static before eventually disappearing. Oh great, not only is it powerful, it can turn invisible too?

"Oh great," Raph says sarcastically, "Cause it wasn't scary enough when we could see it."

We can hear the sirens, so we quickly get out of there before the police could potentially see us.

* * *

Raph's sai spin in the air as he throws them, sinking into a punch dummy. Leo paces not too far away as we were all silent. We're all thinking of that stealth ship we barely escaped. With that in their arsenal, the Kraang could terrorize the city.

"That Kraang ship is incredibly dangerous," Leo voices his thoughts. "We've gotta figure out what it's doing here!"

"Or," Raph spins his sais in his hands. "We could just skip to the part where we destroy it." He stabs the dummy, knocking it off its restraint. Mikey picks it up.

"You're pretty tough when they can't hit you back," he teases and Raph lifts his fist. Mikey yelps as he uses the dummy as a shield. Raph turns his attention to Leo instead of dealing with Mikey.

"So what are we waiting for? Let's load up the Shellraiser and challenge that thing to a rematch!" He punches his knuckles together.

"First we need to find a way to find a ship that's invisible," Leo points out.

"I know, how about we shoot into the air until we hit it?"

"That...doesn't sound too smart."

"Yeah, what if you hit a bird or something?" I ask him.

"Yeah Raph, not too smart there, buddy," Mikey mocks and Raph turns, holding up the fist again. Mikey hides behind the dummy as he yells in terror.

"Actually, Raph's got something there," Donnie walks up to us, grinning. This means another opportunity to say something scientific. If I didn't love Donnie like a brother, I'd hate myself. Mikey holds out the dummy's arm to Raph.

"Yeah Leonamy, Raph's got something there." We all stare at him like he's crazy. "What? Leo and Amy together? Leonamy? Come on, gimme some?" He holds out his hand for a high-three.

"...But instead of shooting objects, we'll shoot waves of electromagnetic radiation. In other words, radar. I've built some radar beacons we can set up around town. If the ship gets near us, I'll get an alarm on my T-Phone," Donnie explains after a few minutes.

Leo smiles at him. "Good work, Donnie. Come on, guys. Let's split up and place those beacons," Leo, Donnie, and I leave to gear up. Raph punches the dummy out of Mikey's hands and he stays behind to do something.

"Mikey, get your shell over here!" I call out.

"Loosen your kneepads, dudette!" He says in protest.

"I'm not wearing any kneepads!" I retort back.

* * *

Leo adjusts the beacon on an A/C unit on the rooftop. He pushes a button on his T-Phone, contacting Donnie. He has a picture of Dr. Mindstrong for Donnie's contact picture. I do too, but with beaker and science logo pictures surrounding it.

"Tribeca beacon installed."

"That's the last of 'em," Donnie reports. "Raph and Mikey are finished too."

"See you back at the lair," Leo hangs up, turning to me. "So Ames, after we stop that ship, do you wanna-"

I hold up my hand to stop him and pull out my sword, turning to Jared. Leo does the same to be met with Karai. They both smile and attack again, and again we dodge them. Leo backflips off the roof to another one and I glance back at him.

"Relax, she's not gonna hurt him," Jared dismisses it and I glare at him.

"Oh really? I thought you only attack for fun!" I push him away.

"She just won't, okay?" He looks angry and I smirk. I think he's hiding something~ "Give it up, Jared, I know your secret," I point my sword at him. His eyes widen in horror and he coughs slowly.

"W-What?" He stammers and I cross my arms, tapping my foot on the ground.

"Yeah. Truly shocking. So you might as well explain yourself," I casually look at my nails and he sighs in defeat.

"Fine...I admit it. I...really like Karai."

My eyes widen in shock, as I wasn't expecting that. "What?!"

His mouth drops open before he narrows his eyes. "You didn't know at all, did you? You're good, you are good." He pushes me backwards slightly and I slide towards Leo. He narrows his eyes at the kunoichi.

"This is getting old, Karai."

"Yeah, same here, Jared," I spit back, but they smile...and there's no mischief this time, they're smiling gently.

"We wanna help you fight the Kraang," They state and our eyes grow wide.

"Really?!"

We pull our weapons back, Karai and Jared sheathing theirs first. I shake my head in disbelief. "Man, you two are real pieces of work, aren't you?" I place my hands on my hips.

"No, of course not," Leo starts counting from his fingers. "We're enemies, you wanna destroy us, you're both loyal to Shredder...should we keep going?"

They step towards us. "Look, if the Kraang win, we don't have a planet anymore," Karai starts off.

"That makes our little spats and banters seem pretty pointless, don't they?" Jared questions, both of them studying our faces.

"We doubt Shredder would be too happy," I point out.

They both frown at us. "Shredder is stubborn and short-sighted. He drives me crazy. His stupid vendetta is gonna take us all down!"

"He may not be able to see that, but we know you do," Jared and Karai smile warmly. "What do you say?"

"Work together for now?" They ask in unison, holding out their hands. Leo and I glance at each other. Are they serious? They expect us to do this? We both stare at each other as we both know the answer to this offer.

"Sorry sister."

"Fat chance, you guys," Leo wraps his arm around my waist and we take a big leap backwards, leaping off the roof. We land in the fire escape down below and jump down until we're in the alley. "Ames...thanks."

"Huh?" I look confused. "For what?"

"For sticking by me despite my previous...feelings for Karai," He closes his eyes. "I'm glad I have someone like you to fix my heart."

"Oh..." I breathe out the word. "You're welcome," I kiss him softly on the cheek and he smiles. "But..."

"Yeah...we need to talk to the guys about this." If we don't, it might end up like last time, and I don't think we need that...again.

* * *

We sit in front of Splinter as April is practicing katas behind us. "We know we shouldn't trust Karai, or Jared for that matter. But still, I got the sense that she's really fed up with Shredder. Don't you?" He glances at me and I scratch my neck sheepishly.

"I really...don't know." Their actions seem genuine right now, but the last time that Leo trusted them, they broke it, several times. They created that mutant, one of them attacked me in my own home, and they might be trying to put up this front to deceive us. They are capable and with this offer, they have the opportunity, so...I'm not really sure what their motive is. They smiled so genuinely, but I'm not certain if they are actually genuine, if that makes sense. And I'm not just saying that because I had a slight grudge against Karai for...the thing. The dreaded thing that almost broke my relationship with Leo. But even if I had a hatred for them...I still feel bad deep within me. I don't know if I can really hate. After all, my parents hate each other...or at least, they try to. But even before I came here, I knew that my father doesn't hate her. So maybe it could be the same with two ninjas from the Foot? I don't know...

"That's probably just what they want you to think," Raph cuts in, narrowing his eyes.

"I know, but!" Leo looks away, a little frustrated. He turns back to Splinter. "Sensei, is there any chance they're for real?"

"It is possible. Loyalties have been known to shift. But the ninja are trained to use deception to their advantage," He explains.

"So they either will or won't betray us?"

"Correct. You must trust your instincts," Splinter turns to leave, looking at Leo one more time. "But Beware the trap of believing something to be true simply because you wish it to be so."

"So I should trust my instincts, unless my instincts are wrong," Leo states and Splinter stops.

"Correct." And with that, he leaves.

"Uh, thanks Sensei," Leo says in confusion. I think that was the opposite of helpful. I heave a sigh to myself. Leo has a good heart, but...with what Splinter just said, I think we should change focus on something else. Not that I don't wanna believe, but...well, it's hard to say for me.

"Whoa," Mikey's eyes go wide. "You know it's good advice when you're still confused afterwards."

"Don't worry," I take a hold of Leo's hand. "We'll find a solution eventually."

"Thanks Ames," Leo smiles softly.

"Guys, seriously!" Raph exclaims in exasperation. "An alliance with Karai and her puppy dog? No way! Why are we even talking about this?!"

"It's too bad we can't trust her," Donnie says in thought. "It would be nice to have a kunoichi on our side."

Leo's eyes widen as I turn sharply to Donnie. "Excuse me?" I ask slowly, as I really hope that he didn't just say that.

"Um, hello?" April frowns, hands on her hips. "What about me?"

"Yeah, and me?! We don't count?" I question in disbelief. Donnie's eyes widen before he gives us a friendly smile.

"No, I mean a real kunoichi." I gasp, offended as I put a hand to my heart. "I-I mean, not that you're not real ones, just that Karai is better. I-I mean, not-not better, just more experienced!" He chuckles and scratches his neck nervously. "Is it-is it hot in here?"

April's expression becomes understanding, which hopefully got Donnie out of that situation...for her, not for me. "It's okay, we get it."

"We do?" I ask in confusion.

"She's your mortal enemy, but hey, she's purdy!" Her eyes narrow at him, which is weird, because April didn't act this way before. Leo talked about her when we first learned about her and she wasn't this upset then. So why does she suddenly care so much? "Purdy enough for two turtles!" She gives Leo a look.

"Please don't bring me into this," Leo sinks slightly. "I don't need a reminder."

I giggle at his reaction.

"No she's not, you're way prettier." Donnie's eyes go wide again as he raises a hand, realizing what he said. "N-Not that I think you're pretty. I-I mean, you're not ugly, it's just that I th-" Raph stands up, covers Donnie's mouth with his hand, and drags him away. I'm trying not to laugh for the sake of April, but I'm almost sad Raph put Donnie out of his misery.

"Don't fight it. You'll thank me later," Raph tells him, the rest of us staring.

"What about you?" April gives Leo a look.

"I have Ames, and she's already a kunoichi to me. She's my hana, my flower," Leo gestures to himself. I smile as Mikey and April clasp their hands together.

"Aww~" They coo and I laugh sheepishly that this was a public moment.

* * *

Later on, we're driving the Shellraiser around to find that Kraang ship. I know Karai and Jared have betrayed us before...or more specifically, Karai betrayed Leo...or was it that they betrayed-anyway, they're smart. They're not stupid to not realize that the Kraang are a threat and that the robots have the artillery to get rid of the planet. So does that mean we should trust them? Or will they cross us again when the Earth eventually isn't in danger from alien robots? Leo wants me to believe that they could have a chance of being on our side, but I don't know what's there for me to see. On the one hand, they're from our arch enemy's clan. On the other hand, that doesn't mean that they don't care about the planet being invaded. So...what now? I'm not sure. But I do know that when we meet them again, they may have my doubts.

"Guys, I think I've got something!" Donnie calls out from his station. "It doesn't match any authorized flight patterns!"

"Or Santa!" Mikey exclaims eagerly. The tires screech to a halt as we turn a corner and come face to face with the Kraang ship. "Nope, it's the Kraang ship. Ugh, that's a bummer."

The ship's eye begins to glow pink, and we all know what that means. "Move it, guys!" Raph yells and we move down the street as the ship fires at the pavement behind us. We turn left sharply.

"Hang onto your shells, guys!" I warn as Leo and I move the steering wheel to the left. The ship follows us no matter where we go.

"I think I've figured out its mission—us!" Donnie exclaims and we can't get rid of it, so we need to lose it. Leo and I make another sharp turn.

"Mikey! W-We need an escape route!" Leo calls out and Mikey looks nervously at the map.

"Take the alley on the right!" Mikey tells us and we do so, only to stop at a concrete wall.

"It's a dead end."

Mikey adjusts the magnifier. "Don't take the alley on the right!" I turn to my own map and move my own magnifier, groaning at the dead end as I sag my head.

"Really?" I mutter under my breath.

The ship closes in on us from behind and fires the laser, hitting us. Leo grips the steering wheel, cringing as the others yell in terror. He's probably wondering how we would get out of this. He looks over his shoulder. "Any ideas, guys?!"

"Just one." Raph unbuckles his seat belt and stands behind Mikey, pounding on his shell with his fists. Mikey covers the back of his head with his hands.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!"

"How about someone suggests something that doesn't involve hitting Mikey?" I glance at the two in annoyance. A few seconds later, Karai and Jared jump out of nowhere, landing on the ship. They start attacking the ship and it begins to move.

"That was Karai!" Leo stares in disbelief. "And Jared," He says sheepishly as all of us are staring at him. Leo shifts the car into reverse and backs out of the alley. "We gotta go back and help her—them!"

Raph places a hand on his shoulder. "They can take care of themselves. Let's put some distance between that thing and us."

"No!" Leo protests sharply, shaking his head. I glance at him in shock at his tone. Does he...does he still like her deep down? What would that mean for us?

"But the Shellraiser can't take another onslaught right now," Donnie points out.

"Then I'll do it myself," Leo unbuckles himself, getting out of the left seat. The tires squeal as I look up at him in shock. "Drive!" Raph quickly gets into the left seat, scowling at Leo.

"Leo, what?! Are you sure about this?" I exclaim at him as he pulls open the panel to the Stealth Bike, which Raph is not happy about at all.

"Hey! The Stealth Bike's my thing!"

Leo looks up at his younger brother. "Now your thing is sucking it up." He lowers himself, letting the panel fall with a thud.

"Hey, that's MY thing!" Donnie yells after him.

"Man, he's gonna get us killed one of these days!" Raph exclaims bitterly ad I sigh slowly. Raph glances at me as I let him drive, crossing my arms and leaning against my chair.

"Amy?" Donnie calls out from behind. "Can we talk to you?"

"Regarding?" I raise an eyebrow as Leo is released.

"About you and Leo. You know, about the sanctity with your relationship," Mikey speaks up. I don't know what's weird, the fact that he knows the word sanctity means or that he used it.

"W-What?" I ask in a high pitch, rubbing my neck.

"How do you know what that word means?" Donnie questions Mikey skeptically.

"You're not actually jealous of Karai, are you?" Raph asks with a smirk and I huff.

"No. I trust Leo and his judgement. I'm not jealous. Why would I? He already chose me." I pause as I sound a little...bitter about it, which isn't like me. I already know that he likes me, he punched a guy for me...and he helped me with my powers and my insecurities...so should I not be worried? Well...Karai is a kunoichi and I'm not...that's already one con. And she's pretty...and she's very skilled...compared to me, she's...well, better. I know I was offended by Donnie's statement that I'm not a real kunoichi, but...he has a point, I think. But to feel bitterness towards someone, even if they're from the Foot...is just...wrong to me. Even if it is Karai.

"Suuuuure you aren't," Mikey teases and a vein appears on my forehead.

"Can we not have this conversation?" I ask in annoyance as I turn around and Mikey grins, keeping his mouth shut.

* * *

They're still talking about it by the time we return to the subway tunnel. "Are you SURE you're not jealous?" Donnie wonders skeptically.

"For the 20th time, yes!" I answer slowly, my chair slowly freezing. Geez...I take a breath and the ice melts...but the doubt is still there...

We hear the Stealth Bike's engine getting closer until it finally comes underneath the vehicle. The bike takes back its spot and the panel flies open.

"We're back," Leo announces and my head snaps to him as I heard we.

"You brought them INSIDE?!" Raph asks in disbelief. "Dude, they'll see all our gear!"

Karai and Jared climb up, followed by Leo as he closes the panel. Going off to save them is one thing, but bringing them into our Shellraiser? When did it even come to that? They take a look around.

"Yeah, cause if Shredder finds out you have an ice cream lamp," She gestures to the lamp mounted to a wall. "It is over," She grins and Raph growls.

"I told you we shouldn't let ice princess pick out decorations anymore," He turns to Donnie and Mikey.

"Wha-heeeey. Ice cream is delicious," I pout, crossing my arms and Leo bites his lip at me. How dare he, ice cream is my salvation...my baby...my love...besides Space Heroes. Hey, shows can end, but ice cream is forever!

Leo frowns at his brothers. "Karai and Jared just risked their lives to save us." Did they? Did they really? Because unless Leo's been living under a rock, they're ninjas from the Foot, in our van. "They've earned a little trust. Let's hear them out."

"You're the boss." Raph nods at me and I pull the brake, the van screeching to a stop. After a few moments of silence, the two open their eyes.

"You guys need our help," Karai starts off.

"Do you honestly think you can shoot down an alien warship with garbage and weak powers?" Jared gestures to me. I growl lowly at him, ice surrounding the walls around us. Raph places a hand on my shoulder gently.

"Easy, ice princess," He leans in and whispers, "We'll get 'em eventually." He pats my back and I calm down.

"Compressed garbage!" Donnie defends.

"And manhole covers," Mikey adds, Donnie crossing his arms and closes his eyes like he's a 5-year-old. I try not to laugh as I look at him, bending over and resting my face into Raph's shoulder as I snicker. Really? I would think that Donnie wouldn't act like that, especially in front of ninjas from the opposite side. I try not to let out a laugh, pinching my nose to contain my laughter. Raph pats my back again slowly.

"Our point is, to take out a ship like that, you need a real weapon," Karai continues.

"Oh yeah? Like what?" Raph asks curiously, as he's all for weaponry.

"What if we both got you a shoulder-fired missile launcher?" Jared offers and Raph looks at Leo.

"I'm startin' to like 'em."

Donnie opens an eye before opening the other one. "Where are you two gonna get a shoulder-fired missile launcher?"

"Shredder, of course."

"Uh, we're talking about the same Shredder, right?" Mikey asks in confusion. "Big dude? Lots of blades? Really hates us?"

"And also the same one who tried to kill me when we first met him?" I raise an eyebrow skeptically, Leo cringing at the memory. Raph and Donnie wince as Mikey frowns. For some reason, the two ninjas look awkward and uncomfortable.

"...Yeah, something tells me he's not gonna wanna share his toys with us," Raph agrees after a few seconds.

"He won't know about it," Jared dismisses it.

"He's buying a big shipment of weapons down at the docks tomorrow night. All we need to do is sneak in and help ourselves." She smiles and Raph narrows his eyes, unsure. He glances at the others.

"Anyone else smell a trap?"

"Sorry," Mikey raises a hand. "That was me."

I sigh slowly, dragging a hand down my face. Jared and Karai frown at our distrust. Yeah, this could be a way to lead us into Shredder's hand, and I don't want that. "Why would we trap you? You're the only ones who know what the Kraang are up to."

"True, but you two don't have the best track record," Donnie points at them.

"Fine, we'll get you the missile launcher ourselves," Karai gives in. We all look at each other, unsure we should trust them or not.

"You're really willing to steal from Shredder?" Leo asks them.

"Look, these things have to be stopped," Jared crosses his arms.

"If Shredder's not going to do anything about it, we will. With your help or without it," Karai stares at Leo in the eye. He studies her expression, which I don't plain like because he can see her eyes which unsettles me. He looks at Donnie and Mikey, Donnie nodding. Mikey follows suit and Leo looks at Raph. Raph looks at him, but instead of answering, he raises both hands in the air, turning away from the trio, meaning he could care less. Then...there's me. Leo gives me a piercing gaze and I bite my lip. He expects me to answer right now? This could really affect how I see the two...but I don't think they're telling the truth either. Their master tried to kill me. And he would've if not for the distraction. I know he wants me to trust them for some reason, but...but...

"Ugggh," I groan in defeat at his look. "Fine! They're not my most favorite people in the world, but...okay." It's not like I have a choice, but this could be bad for all of us if anything goes wrong with this...

Leo looks back at the duo. "Alright you two, here's the deal. You get us the missile launcher, and we'll team up." They both smirk at each other and shake hands, neither of them letting go. I glare as I turn around, not wanting to see the sight.

 _Yes, Amy...get jealous and do it. You can freeze them all right here and now...you'd be getting revenge on them all...do it. Do iiiit..._

No! I can't do that. I have to let my emotions be steady, like Splinter said.

 _What does that old rat know? Why not for once in your life take something back for yourself? Let yourself go...and take what's rightfully yours. Let your inner demons manifest and kill the one who's taking away Leonardo..._

K-Kill? When did I ever think killing was the right answer? Taking a life over someone else...is just repulsive. These are normal feelings, everyone feels jealous once in a while...so I won't do it. I can't, the turtles are like brothers already to me. At least, three of them anyway. What would they think of me if i were to do it right here and now? Leo might hate me...and leave...so would the others...

* * *

Mikey watches Raph playing on the Space Heroes pinball machine. He may hate the show, but Raph's not gonna pass up a good game of pinball. Leo's training, obviously, while Donnie is reading something. I'm tapping my foot against the floor, biting my lip nervously at my previous...homicidal thoughts. I can't believe I'm even thinking about this, I'm not a violent person. There is no way I'm letting myself turn into a female Raph just because I briefly had those feelings. It's just natural...isn't it? Someone tell me I'm not crazy!

Mikey breaks the silence. "Stoked! I can't believe we're getting a missile launcher! What should we blow up first?"

Raph doesn't look up from the game. "Uh, the Kraang ship?"

"Oh, right...what should we blow up second?"

"If Karai and Jared can pull it off," Leo punches and kicks the dummy.

"Are you worried about your girlfriend?" Donnie grins, Leo scowling. "I see why you guys do that now, it's kinda fun." This is the first time Donnie gets to tease about someone else's crush, instead of being teased himself. Suddenly, there's a tense silence in the air and I feel eyes on me. I look up at the others, who are staring at me uncomfortably.

"What?" I ask in confusion as I'm so focused on my own thoughts that I wasn't paying attention. Leo stares at me for a few more seconds before turning to the others.

"It isn't gonna be easy. Shredder's gonna be there too."

Raph freezes, his game ending, but I think he could care less. "Hey...you're right!" He turns away from the machine. "For once, we know where Shredder's gonna be ahead of time. Which means...we could set a trap for him!"

"What?!" Leo exclaims, "Look, we made a deal with Jared and Karai. We can't just go behind their backs. This is about that Kraang ship. They wanna take us out!"

They're better off...wait, what am I thinking? Stop it, Amy! You're supposed to be the nice one! How am I supposed to keep up that image if I'm thinking these awful thoughts in my head? The turtles need someone to be there for them...to be their friend and cheer them up when they're wary or doubting themselves...I'm supposed to do that, aren't I? Between having these powers and the whole Karai/Leo deal, this is getting a little too complicated for me...it's like there's this thing trying to break out and let me sink into the dark...no matter how I deny it, it could grow stronger and I could be a danger not only to myself, but to the others...should I even be here if that's the case? All I've been doing is lashing out and using my powers against them...and not with them...how do I do it? How do I get these things out of my head?

"So does Shredder," Raph points out. "This may be our only chance to take him by surprise. Are we really gonna pass that up?"

Leo hesitates, but speaks up after a few seconds. "Alright, guys. Let's take down the Shredder."

 _Yes! Finally will you no longer worry about her...about them._

Stop it...

 _Why should I? Look at them, they're better off and they can handle themselves. But you...you're nothing but a burden. Why would they want you? You're no better than Karai._

"I-I'm gonna get my sword," I mumble quietly, walking off to my room. I lock the door and stumble onto the ground, holding my head. The turtles care about me...they saved my life...

 _That's because they felt like they had to. They were there after all. You were only just a convenience. And they don't have to do anything for you. Just look at Leo, he didn't think twice about letting Karai into the Shellraiser and saving her. In fact, he did it because he still has feelings for her._

That's not true...he said so himself that he missed me...he's in love with me, there's no way he'd go back to her.

 _You're a liar. If he liked you so much, he wouldn't even think about Karai. He only said that so you wouldn't be mad at him anymore. I'm just telling it like it is. You. Don't. Matter._

It's...it's true...Leo's putting too much attention on Karai...he's only saying all of that romantic stuff because I liked it. Meanwhile, he'll do anything for her regardless of what I think. My opinion didn't matter...

I look up at the falling snow, hiding my face into my knees. Nothing matters anymore...

* * *

We're right above Shredder as Donnie is giving Mikey some last-minute instructions. He's holding a baseball with batteries, wires, and barbs sticking out of it. "Aim for his armor. The electro-grenade will use the metal as a conductor to amplify the shock."

"How much of that did I need to understand?" Mikey asks in confusion. I stifle a laugh. Mikey was always there to make me laugh...

"Aim for his armor," Donnie states simply. Donnie's always there to help with his inventions...

"Got it," Mikey smiles with a thumbs up.

"Are you sure we should trust Mikey with this?" Raph asks Leo. Ah, there's the wit Raph has.

"When it comes to water balloon launchers, he's the best in the business," Leo smirks confidently. And there's the confidence that I like so much about him...

I stay quiet as Leo and Raph get into position. Their arms are extended, holding either end of the launcher. There's a pouch in the middle as Mikey has the grenade in it, pulling the launcher back as far as he can. His tongue is sticking out as Shredder's back is facing us.

"Booyakasha, Shredhead," Mikey says softly, releasing the pouch. The grenade whistles into the air.

"Look out!" Jared and Karai dive for Shredder, tacklig him to the ground. The grenade instead hits the car, electrocuting tackling him to the ground. The grenade instead hits the car, electrocuting two Foot soldiers and a man I don't recognize. The turtles slump their shoulders.

"Are you kidding me?!" Raph asks angrily.

"I do not understand them," Mikey shakes his head slowly. Karai and Jared raise the missile launcher between them, taking aim at us. They pull the trigger without hesitation.

"Incoming!" Leo calls out and before we can take cover, the missile explodes on the crate beside can take cover, the missile explodes on the crate beside us. We're hurled off the crate by the force of the explosion. We land roughly on the dock. Shredder gets to his feet before we do as we're trying to regain our senses.

Raph pushes himself up and scoffs. "Well, this can't get much worse."

An alarm goes off on Donnie's phone as it beeps repeatedly. Donnie examines it. "The radar. The Kraang ship is nearby!" We look up at the sky as the alien ship becomes visible, swooping down towards us from the skies.

Man, not those annoying alien brains with their stupid ship again...

We quickly get on our feet as we run through the stack of containers. "Fall back, guys!" Leo calls out.

"No argument here!" Donnie agrees, glancing over his shoulder as Shredder is following us. He's walking slow, but steady, which made him all the more frightening in this moment.

Leo leads the way, but we don't know where we're going. We're running around like chickens as we're trying to get away from Shredder. When we think we're making headway, he's always there...he is always there. We slide down as we run in the maze. Soon, we reach a dead end, as there's no time to find an escape route. We look up at all the stacks around us and I feel a chill as he's right behind us.

"Tell me where Splinter is, and I'll let you live long enough to watch him perish," He threatens, clenching a fist I'm shaking in my boots as there's no telling what he could do to me. A mechanical sound can be heard above us and we look as the Kraang ship approaches us.

"That thing again?" Leo questions in exasperation. "Great timing?"

"Honto ni wa?" Shredder asks, confused. The ship fires its pink lasers and we try to dodge it, but there's no enough space. We're thrown off our feet as the energy traces a path and it makes its way towards Shredder, who throws open the door to the nearest container and throws himself inside. The ship goes back into the air and comes back for another attack. Leo moves as fast as he can, running to the crate that has Shredder inside. He pushes the door shut, swinging the lock to trap Shredder from the outside.

"Come on!" Leo quickly grabs my hand and without looking back, we run to find the path that would lead us out of this stupid maze.

We finally run out into the open, escaping from there. We pant as Leo holds my shoulders, staring at me with a serious look. "Ames, are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah," My voice sounds a little raspy as I haven't said much lately. He stares into my eyes as if he's looking into my soul.

"Are you sure?" He repeats slowly.

"...No," I shake my head and his mouth is a thin line. Obviously, I'm not injured, but I don't think that's what he meant. He glances to his right to see an open crate. He runs towards it to get the missile launcher, but we stop in our tracks as Karai and Jared stop us.

"We thought you were better than this," Jared snarls at us as they're angry. "We thought you were our friends!"

"How could you betray us?!" Karai points her finger at us. "You're both just as short-sighted and obsessed as Shredder!"

I growl at her insult as ice forms at the containers. Leo holds out an arm in front of me, giving a look to Karai that says 'back off.' "You said so yourself how bad Shredder is. Why are you both protecting him?!" Leo sounds frustrated with both of them. "You said he's driving you crazy!"

"He drives me crazy because he's my father!"

I can't believe my ears as our eyes widen. "Your father?" Leo stares at her.

"Shredder...is your father?" I ask in horror. How could he have gotten someone to give him a child? Not only is that repulsive, he is a vile man who deserves no children. Who loved him enough to give him a daughter?

"You're Shredder's daughter?!" We point to her as we exclaim in unison. The pink laser strikes the ground, heading straight for us. We look just in time to see it and jump back. Leo looks up at the ship that fired at us.

"We've gotta stop that thing!"

"Our deal's off. You want a feud?" Karai and Jared raise their weapons, preparing to strike. "You've got one!"

"Ames, you gotta stop that ship. Get as close as you can," Leo tells me and I nod slowly, jumping up to a container.

 _Feh. He just doesn't want you to see him with Karai._

I shake it off and look at the ship flying around. No, it's too far for me to even try and fire. I need to be close enough to fire a short distance. I just hope the others are okay...and that I can trust Leo.

I hear something behind and pull out my weapon to clash weapons with Jared, who is furious. "How dare you to try attack him? You will not live to see another day, or your friends!" I push him away and backflip onto another container. As I'm flipping, I feel a sharp pain in my stomach as he kicked me there and I land roughly on the container. At least it's not the ground...

I stand up quickly and notice that if he wanted to kill me today, he would've while I was still on the ground. He spins in a circle near me and I do a handstand, pushing up my legs to kick him down. I spin back on my feet as he jumps towards me and I block weapons with him while he's still in the air. I'm not gonna go down. I'm not gonna doubt myself or my friends anymore. How could I think that they didn't care? I could've done something horrible with all those thoughts running in my head. And what would that mean for the others? They'd be so broken that they probably...they'd probably lose themselves. I can't do that to them. No one deserves that kind of pain...not even Raph.

I'm not a monster. Everything...was just hurting so much with what's happened before. But not anymore. I'm not gonna let despair take over my heart that I'd do or think something so heinous. That's not me at all, and I don't wanna be like that. I need to be strong because it's the right thing to do, and because I want to. Who cares if I take the chance of losing Leo to Karai?

The ship passes by and I'm just realizing that Jared is nowhere to be found. Confused, I look around until I see Leo by my side, holding the missile launcher. He must've took care of Jared while I wasn't paying attention. The ship swoops low and moves over the water. We follow its every move, eyes on it as we're ready to fire. As it hovers away from us, we both gently squeeze the trigger together.

It explodes on the ship's belly when hit and it loses altitude. Leo and I smile at each other briefly for our victory before we sense them approaching. Jared and Karai swing their swords at our heads. We duck, dropping the launcher as we block their swings. The launcher rolls away and it seems like we focus on nothing else.

Until the Kraang ship that's burning with pink flames and black smoke flies past us. We stop to watch its descent, which is right at the turtles as it lands on the wood. As it skids towards them, I fling my arms so that a wave of ice forms from the ground, causing the ship to change direction as it hits the surface. Shredder's standing on the container that was behind the turtles and instead of moving, he stands right there. The ship crashes into the container and he sinks into the water below.

"Father!"

"Master!"

Jared and Karai jump after him to slip into the water. We watch in silence as we sheath our swords. No sigh of anyone as we blink. The others had been there for not long as they were staring at us. They jump down and we follow them, left with our thoughts.

* * *

We reach a part of the city as we've told the turtles what Karai had said. Leo slows his pace as he walks to the edge of the building and sits down, looking out to New York. Donnie approaches him. "Leo, it's not that bad. You and Amy blew up the Kraang ship!"

Leo sighs at that. "But I blew our chance to get Karai and Jared on our side."

"Look, she's Shredder's daughter, his blood," Raph states bluntly. "And with Jared's loyalty, they were never gonna be on our side."

"Yeah, maybe you're right," Leo agrees. "Maybe I was just believing what I wanted to."

"Maybe, but..." I bite my lip. "As it stands, it's not possible."

"I've been there, dude," Mikey speaks up, Leo looking over to him. "For me, it was leprechauns."

"Are you seriously comparing what I am going through," Donnie, Raph, and I shake our heads, trying to stop him from saying that. "To the time you found out leprechauns aren't real?" The three of us facepalm ourselves.

Leo huffs, Donnie and Raph leaning in towards me. "We'll take Mikey home, you try to help him out," Donnie whispers and I nod as they take a protesting Mikey away. I roll my eyes at him before walking over to the edge, sitting down next to Leo, but not too close. The silence is a little tense as I hug my knees.

"Ames..." He speaks up and I turn to him. "I'm sorry about what happened today. I kept chasing around my beliefs that I didn't ask you about your feelings about it."

"It's okay, really," I whisper quietly, but Leo could sense it right away.

"It is not okay! I upset you and you got into serious danger!" He protests, leaning in towards me with narrowed eyes.

"Jared is not danger," I roll my eyes. There's a few seconds of silence before I glance at Leo. "But if you were to hear news that Karai was willing to join our side, you'd go off to talk to her again, wouldn't you? To be near her?"

"No I wouldn't!" He yells, "I will never leave you again, Ames!"

"You're a liar," I deadpan and he gives a shocked look, trying to compose himself.

"I am not!"

"Just who do you think you're kidding?" I give him a bored look. "I've known you long enough to learn a few things about you, you know?!" I lean in closer and he cringes. "And you would definitely go!" I lean back as he growls. I can't tell if it's anger or acceptance. "And if you do go, then I'll be upset. But that's to be expected, right?"

He stares at me with soft eyes, whispering, "Ames..."

I scoot closer to him, leaning my head onto his shoulder. "You're...really mad, aren't you?"

"Yes, I suppose I was. You could even say that my thoughts went beyond anger," I murmur and I glance up at him to see a concerned look on his face. I heave a sigh. "And yes, I was feeling...like I didn't matter to you or anyone, but...I know that you'll never give up on Karai. But I still trust you, so there's nothing I can do. I still want to be with you and to spend time with you...so just be careful, okay?"

I smile softly and I feel him smiling too, hugging me from behind. "Thank you Ames...and I promise, you're still the only one I wanna be with...so thank you for trusting me, because I'll never hurt you again. You're so much more to me than you think, and to everyone else too. You'll see, I'll make you smile, laugh, and never cry..."

I close my eyes, with that smile still on my face as he kisses the back of my head tenderly.

"Just you..."


	21. Karai and Jared's Vendetta

**Angel: Merry Christmas Eve! I won't update tomorrow. Sorry not sorry, but Christmas is for family, not for updating stories XD There's only 5 chapters left anyway, so it's not like the world will end or anything. Merry Christmas or whatever you celebrate :3**

The turtles, April, and I are in another training session, with April sparring with Splinter. Leo and Donnie are going against each other, Donnie swinging first. Leo ducks under it and grabs the staff, knocking Donnie back with a palm strike. I stand up and he chuckles.

"Just because we're dating doesn't mean I won't go easy on you, Ames," He winks at me.

"Bring it on," I smirk, snowflakes coming from my hands. Splinter dodges April's strikes while I throw daggers at Leo. Being the swordsman...or turtle that he is, he knocks it back with his sword, but that was only a distraction. I run up to him with my sword and they clash together. Splinter stops April, moving her head so that she can see Raph and Mikey sparring. Leo jumps onto the wall and leaps towards me, but I use his ultimate weakness. Don't ask, just watch.

I make kitty eyes at him and he gasps. I grab his leg and swing him around, knocking him to the tree. He pouts as soon as he snaps out of it, Donnie snickering.

"No fair, Ames," I help him stand up. "You used an unfair advantage on me."

"What, being able to distract you long enough?" I snort.

"No, being adorable."

I kiss his cheek and turn to watch the last two remaining turtles. "What you gonna do?" Raph eggs as he holds his sai. "What you gonna do? What you gonna do?" Mikey looks nervous as he barely spars with Raph, and when he does, Raph usually beats him, whether he has an advantage or not. Raph jumps into the air, flying towards Mikey, who ducks. He grabs Raph's arms and lands on his shell, kicking Raph over onto the ground.

"Booyakasha!" Mikey brags and I giggle. "Ha, you got faced! Thought you had me, but I played you like a trombone," Mikey wiggles his fingers onto Raph's ear slits and the turtle growls. The youngest turtle stands up, imitating a trombone. Raph grabs him from behind.

"Playtime's over, tough guy!" He holds Mikey up in the air, the rest of us just watching.

"Put me down! Enough! Uncle!" Mikey protests, struggling.

"I don't see you tapping out," Raph remarks.

"I...can't...move...my...arms," Mikey sags his arms. Raph squeezes him harder.

"Then tap your horrible, disgusting middle toe!" Mikey lifts his left foot, wiggling his middle toe. Raph drops him onto the ground, sitting up.

"Don't worry, Stubby," He glares at Raph. "You're not as horrible as he says!"

"Michelangelo," Splinter approaches him from behind. "Why did you give up so easily?"

"There was nothing I could do," Mikey states cluelessly.

"There is always something you can do. Observe. Raphael, kannuki jime!" Raph darts his eyes around awkwardly before Splinter stands in front of him. Raph grabs him, strugging to pick the taller rat up. "The key is to unbalance your opponent."

Raph puts him down and then picks him back up.

"But how?" Mikey asks curiously as he's sitting down with April.

"However you can. For example," He turns to Raph and licks him on the cheek. I'm not making this up. Raph's eyes go white and small as he pushes Splinter away, covering his face. Splinter knocks him down to the floor with his tail.

"Whoooa," Mikey comments in awe, Splinter chuckling.

"You see? There is always a way. Blech," He wipes his mouth. "And you need to take a bath."

"Ha ha!" I laugh at his statement. Good old Splinter. Raph groans and Splinter walks away, ending the training session.

* * *

Raph is feeding Spike a leaf as Mikey's eating a pizza, of course. Leo and I are watching Space Heroes together. He's snuggling me as I'm sitting in front of him, his arms wrapped around my body like I'm a teddy bear. Leo holds out one of our snacks, gummy bears which are my favorite...besides chocolate, and I open the bag, eating one. There's some noises going on, Captain Ryan and his crew listening to it. They're watching an alien grabbing two of their men.

"The landing party is under attack by the digesters! We have to save them!" Crankshaw exclaims, Captain Ryan slapping him like usual.

"If we keep bailing them out, they'll never learn to take care of themselves," Captain Ryan states and I snort.

"You should write that down," I say to Leo as he feeds me a gummy bear.

"Ha ha, very funny," Leo retorts playfully.

"But this is their first mission, and they don't even have weapons!" Crankshaw panics.

"Then they'd better learn fast." Crunching sounds are heard, Leo and I cringing at the sound effect. The alien's meal is finished as he lets out a burp. "Say, Dr. Mindstrong, weren't you in love with that one?"

"I...was, Captain," Dr. Mindstrong closes his eyes in despair as his love interest is dead. Aw, poor guy.

"Well, it looks like you both learned a lesson today," Ryan states and I sip my iced tea with a lemon wedge on top.

"Hey guys," Donnie calls out and we turn to see him opening his lab door. "Guess what April and I have been up to." No one answers, as it's obviously not anything romantic. Donnie's unfortunately not that forward. Leo mutes the TV. "That's right. Analyzing sewage!"

"Who says you don't know how to show a girl a good time?" Raph asks sarcastically, Mikey still munching on his pizza. Regardless, we follow them into Donnie's lab, where they plan to show us something.

"April and I were going through some files on the Kraang storage device," He places down a beaker with light green water inside. "We found out that they're using a special process to change Earth's water into Kraang water."

"Kraang have water?" I ask in disbelief.

"They've already started the process," April explains as a slice of pizza is resting near the beaker. "We found a low concentration of Kraang chemicals in the sewage."

Mikey looks in awe while Raph looks bored. "And I take it that's a bad thing."

"Watch what happens when I dip this slice of Mikey's shrimp and sardine pizza into pure Kraang water," Donnie states and I stick my tongue out. That does not sound like a combination good enough for pizza. He was probably thinking of a seafood thing going on. Wouldn't put it past him what with goes on in that mind of his. Donnie dips the slice into the water and it disintegrates, to Mikey's disappointment.

"How do you sleep at night?" Mikey accuses, and I roll my eyes.

"Presently, there's only a tiny bit in the water supply," Donnie looks at what's rest of the pizza. "But the concentration is increasing, which means-"

"Every slice of pizza in New York will be destroyed?" Mikey asks in panic.

"Along with anyone who uses water," April points out.

"Which is everyone in the world, including us," I gesture to the turtles.

"I don't wanna live in a world without pizza!" Mikey grabs the pizza box, knocking the beaker off. It flies towards April and I, Donnie holding out a hand.

"Girls, look out!"

It lands on our arms and we all panic...but nothing happens. Yeah, no disintegration, and no pain at all, which is weird. "Nothing happened to either of you," Donnie says in shock.

"Maybe it's cause they're not made of pizza," Mikey guesses and Leo hands me a napkin. Donnie's computer beeps and we glance at it.

"The scanner's located the Kraang facility transforming the water supply, which is right here," He points to the beeping blip on the water. "We gotta stop it!"

"Looks like we got a mission." Leo turns to us. "Girls, you coming?"

"Sounds like a blast, but unfortunately it's on the bottom of the East River, and equally unfortunately, I have an essay due. Plus I wouldn't mind a little human food and some girl time," April grins at me and I grin back.

"Pizza's human food," Mikey speaks up as we walk past him.

"Not the way you eat it," April comments, as the boys can be messy while eating their favorite dish.

"Sure I'll hang out with you, April, that's a great idea," I grin at her happily. "Lord knows I need some space away from boys," I glance at the turtles, who smile sheepishly. "Just give me a few moments to get ready. I don't wanna look like this out on the surface," I gesture to myself.

"You wear that all the time," Raph raises a brow.

"I'm allowed to change it up if I see fit," I cross my arms.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you're going topside?" Donnie asks in concern, stumbling over his desk. I cringe as he crashes, Leo already by my side. "You got your T-Phone, right?"

"And your sword?" Leo questions, holding it out to me. "Or better yet, take all our weapons!"

"No!" April and I deny in unison. Leo frowns at this, holding out a box of some heavy artillery and other things for protection like bubble wrap and helmets...okay.

"Don't worry, Donnie, I have Amy. We'll be fine," April tells Donnie.

"Leo, I am not taking all of that junk!" I place my hands on my hips sternly. He holds up a mace. "No." He holds up a knife. "No!" He then holds up a pirate hook. "Okay, where are you getting all of this stuff?!"

"Relax, Leo," April tries to defend me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "She can fight with those cool ice powers she has."

"That doesn't help," Leo pouts, crossing his arms. I take a bottle of mace.

"I'll take this, to make you stop," I point at him, walking outside the lab door. "I'll meet you at the entrance, April. And NO, Leo, you cannot come!"

"Darn," Leo mutters under his breath. It's sweet that he cares, but I think he's going a little overboard. I look down at my arm, wondering why it's still intact. Does this mean...that there's something going on with April and me? Is this why the Kraang are after us? I wonder what...well, we won't find the answers today, that's for sure.

"Ames, wait."

I groan slightly, turning around to Leo. He holds up his hands in defense. "Sorry that I overreacted. It's just...I don't feel like you'd be safe what with the Kraang after you and April...so please don't let anything happen to you two, okay?"

"Okay," I smile softly at him, kissing him on the lips tenderly. He returns it...and then I feel him trying to put more weapons in my bag. I giggle, moving my bag away as I break from the kiss. "The answer's still no, Leo."

"Just making sure."

"Good luck stopping the Kraang," I wink, walking into my room.

* * *

Later, I'm walking down the streets with April. My hair is down and loose in waves as I'm wearing a pink blazer over a black dress that's decorated with pink roses all over it. My boots are knee-length and brown as I have my bag over my shoulder. There's a headband over my hair as it's pink and has a white rose on the right side of it. April's looking at her arm as we walk past the Argosy Theater.

"You okay?" I question in concern.

"Yeah...you?"

"I think so?" I look over my arm. "That was weird, huh?"

"Yeah. So, how's it going with Leo~" April leans in with a fangirl smile. I laugh at her expression as she loves to talk about this kind of stuff, especially with me. Not that there's any other girls we know besides Karai, but...yeah, no.

"They're...unbelievable," I grin happily. "He's so sweet and thoughtful. I should do something for him. After all, he did give me his rare Space Heroes comic book."

"Whoa, already giving you something so valuable? Looks like things are getting serious, huh?" April squeals and I try to contain my laughter.

"Well...I wouldn't know? I mean, we are official, but not...officially official? Does that make sense?" I ask in confusion. "This is my first relationship with...well, anyone. Being homeschooled didn't help with meeting guys."

"You're only 15, since when did you need to be concerned about meeting guys?" April raises an eyebrow.

"True," I comment with a hum as we're almost approaching Murakami's.

"I just hope that you won't drift apart because of Karai," April bites her lip nervously. "Or else my OTP would make me question my life."

I scoff in surprise that she used that term. "W-We're not boyfriend and girlfriend! And besides, that's all sorted out. I told him that I trust him and that if he wants to turn Karai over to our side, then fine. I already know he'd drop everything for her...so I'll let him. I already know that he still likes me, so I'm not really worried anymore." And it's true, I'm not. I don't even freeze stuff when I think about her anymore. Leo's been paying more attention...sometimes at my own expense like earlier, but at least I know he cares and he won't forget about me.

If he does, I'll make him regret it.

"Good for you that you two patched things up," April smiles softly. "I'm happy for you."

"Aw, thanks," I wrap my arm around her shoulder, hugging her slightly. April grins as she returns the hug, arms around my waist.

When we get to the shop, April turns to me. "Are you sure you don't wanna come inside? I don't wanna leave you here all alone. Leo would kill me."

"Shh, we don't mention boys on this girls' day out," I whisper and we both giggle. "Yeah, just go in and get my usual. We can go back to your apartment and eat there to work on your paper." She smiles at me and walks up to a machine right in front of the store. April stares at it, as it's all in Japanese. She glances at me and I shrug, leaning against the wall as I'm updating photos for my contacts. I look at one for Raph as he has a stoic face, so I edit it to make it look like he's a dog, ha ha.

 **~Regular~**

April glances at the brunette, smiling at how happy she looks. She looks back to the machine as she doesn't know how to work. Usually, she'd just go inside and order. She bends down to it, trying to read all the Japanese. "Hm, this is new. What is this thing?"

Someone walks up to her from behind. "Oh, that's how you order." April glances at the girl as she puts in a coin, pressing a button that does not say what she ordered. "They have these in Tokyo." She takes a wooden chip that has a picture of the order. "You give this to the chef."

"Oh, thanks," April says in relief, turning back to the machine. She presses on the one for pizza gyoza twice and takes her tokens.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Sure, why not?" April agrees as she walks to the entrance. Karai turns around, grinning to herself.

 **~Amy~**

"Ah, the joy of being alone," I sigh in relief, as I'm always surrounded by guys. I really needed this. Honestly, I haven't been out since well...ever. I know I go on patrol with them, but that's different. I haven't gone out during the daytime, without the guys. Yes, the Kraang are technically still after me, but I'm safe because they're at the East River and they wouldn't dare attack at this time of day. Or at least, not in public, anyway.

It's good to have some fresh air today. I change Mikey's picture so that he's eating a pizza, surrounded by pizza pics and water balloons. Not that I'm angry I don't go out as much, but being in the sewers most of my time is just generic. I don't wanna see the sewers all the time, I wanna go out and see the city. I live here, after all.

I change the picture with Leo and me so that it's surrounded by cupcake and Captain Ryan pictures. Hey, don't judge.

 **~Regular~**

Murakami is stirring a pot when April comes in. "Hi Murakami-san!"

"April-chan," He greets as she walks in, Karai right behind her. She closes the door so no one suspects her. "How are you?"

She holds out the token to him and he feels it, smiling. "Ah, pizza gyoza."

"Hai. Chou Oishi. I'll have both to go." April says back, Karai turning back to her in surprise.

"You speak Japanese?"

"I picked up a few words from...my brothers," She laughs it off. Well, she did see the turtles as brothers, so that's mostly true.

"Brothers? Tell me about them," Karai smirks to herself.

"Oh," April looks away awkwardly. "You know, just crazy..."

"Animals?" Karai asks knowingly, April's eyes going wide. She glances at Karai.

"Pretty much," She says slowly, as this was coincidence...right? Maybe Amy knows her. She'll ask once she gets their lunch.

"Although, I've never heard of pizza gyoza back in Tokyo. And you ordered two? You must be really hungry."

"That's because Murakami invented it, and they're not both for me. My friend's waiting for me outside. You should try one," April explains, smiling slightly.

"That sounds great. You should try some of mine," Karai offers and April chuckles.

"Done."

Karai hands her token over and when Murakami feels it, he gasps, giving a grim look. "Hai..." He's already suspicious of this girl because he did not want to make this meal. He slowly walks away and Karai turns to April.

"What's your name?"

"I'm April."

"My name's Harmony."

 **~Amy~**

I glance at my watch as April's been in there for a while. I hope nothing happened to her. Well...if she's really in danger, she'll call. Someone walks up to me from behind as I can sense his movement. He leans against the wall next to me.

"What brings you here?"

"Waiting for a friend..." I say slowly as his voice is a little deep, but I'm familiar with it.

"Hm. One friend or several?"

"One, why?" I don't even bother to look at him as he's already asking too many questions.

"Just wondering. Are you calling someone? Maybe a brother?"

"I'm an only child," I reply thinly. What's up with all the questions? I don't like this guy.

"Heh. Biologically? People can have...animals for adopted brothers."

I shiver to myself at how...accurate he is. I decide to say nothing, because he is already creeping me out with all of these random yet weird questions about my life. I don't need him to interrogate me about my personal life, the weirdo.

 **~Regular~**

Karai separates her chopsticks, sharpening them. "So what brings you to New York?" April asks her new acquaintance curiously. Tokyo from New York is a long way.

"I'm with my dad. He's here trying to close an old deal," Karai narrows her eyes.

"Oh. What does he do?"

"He's in kitchen utensils," Karai looks at one of her chopsticks. "Knives mostly."

Murakami brings them their meals with a smile. April's is packaged along with Amy's. Karai brings her hands together. "Itadakimasu."

"Itatakimas," April blabs, trying to thank Murakami. She opens the box, holding it out to Karai.

"Alright, let's see what these pizza potstickers are all about." She tries one, eating it slowly. "Mm, best dumpling ever!" She wasn't lying either. If she wasn't part of the Foot, she'd come back for more.

"I know, right?"

"Now you try mine," Karai pushes her bowl towards April.

"What is it?" April asks curiously, putting a spoonful up to her lips.

"Suppen nabe." April blows on it. "Turtle soup." She gasps sharply, realizing who she's sitting next to.

"Karai..."

"In person," Karai grins and April drops her spoon, backing away slowly. She's too alarmed that she doesn't grab her food or Amy's. Suddenly she's not so hungry anymore. She backs away to the door as Karai stands up.

"Uh, I gotta go," She turns to leave, but Karai grabs the strap from her bag.

"I was thinking you and your friend Amy come with us, April O'Neil. My father would love to see you both." She pulls April towards her and the red head struggles. Us? But that would mean...oh no, Amy!

"Let go of me!"

Murakami comes in, pouring the soup all over Karai. She drops April in the process, who quickly escapes. Murakami stands in front of Karai to distract her. "Oh, I am so sorry."

Karai pushes past him and looks around. She smirks as Jared is about to grab Amy.

 **~Amy~**

I suddenly see Karai standing outside of the shop and I narrow my eyes. "Karai..." I spin around and kick Jared to the ground, glaring down at him. "You two again!"

"Amy, you okay?" I hear and turn to April running towards me.

"Yeah, come on!" I grab her hand and we continue running. "Call the guys, we can't handle those two on our own."

She does so, panting. Hopefully they've stopped the Kraang by now. "April, hi! It's not a great time!" I hear Donnie shout.

"Donnie, Karai and Jared are after us," April pants as I run faster.

"What?!" There's a thud, meaning that he was probably knocked down by one of the turtles. "Karai and Jared are after the girls. We gotta help them!"

"WHAT?!" I hear a panicked shout and I immediately recognize Leo's voice as he clears his throat. "A-And who's gonna help us?"

"April, I'm sorry. We can't get there. But you don't worry, you two. You just stay calm and RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!"

"We're on our own," April reports to me and I groan, looking back to see the duo right on our tails. April taps my shoulder and I turn my head to see a pizza boy unloading a delivery in front of an apartment. "Is that pizza for O'Neil?"

"Or Smith?"

He looks at the order ticket. "Nah, it's for, um," We quickly get onto his bike, with me up front to drive. I rev it up. "Hey! What are you doing?"

"We'll bring it back, we promise!" April calls out as she puts on her helmet and I snap my fingers, creating a helmet made of ice. Good thing April's head is blocking his view of me. Eventually, we reach a red light and I come to a stop.

April looks around and sighs in relief. "We're all clear..." I murmur to myself, except not, because our transportation did nothing to stop the two. They appear on motorcycle, using a taxi cab as a ramp. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Jared blushing as Karai is holding onto his shoulders.

"Screw it," I murmur to myself as I step on the gas, stopping two cars as I turn sharply to the right. Jared follows us as I move past all the cars, but the motorcycle appears right next to us and they try to attack. If I pull out my sword or use my powers in an open road, people are gonna see me. I try to hit him, but they bump into us, causing the two of us to skid off the street. I luckily stop before we could crash into a wall and continue down the street.

April looks behind her before she gasps. "Amy, look out!"

I gasp at the truck that's backing up and I drive faster. "What are you doing?!"

"Raph, forgive me for pulling this off," I say to myself and I skid the bike to the side, causing us to slide underneath the truck and come out from the other side. Since the truck is in their way, they can't catch up to us...right?

"That was...a little scary, but awesome!" April cheers as I grin.

"Raph's a good teacher!" I call out, continuing down the street. "But don't tell him I said that."

"Agreed."

We get another call not a few minutes later. "April, what's your status?"

"Could be better!" April calls out as I see them catching up with us.

"Okay, we're on our way! We'll be there soon!"

Suddenly there's a screech and then all the turtles are screaming. "Actually, it might be a small delay."

* * *

As we're speeding down the streets, a shuriken lands on one of the mirrors. April gasps as she looks up to see Karai and Jared following us from the rooftops. I growl and I turn into an alley, but it's a dead end. "Oh no."

They jump down using the fire escape near us and we hide as they remove their helmets. April attacks Karai from behind, holding her helmet as she swings it. She throws it, but misses. I go to grab my sword, but it and my sheath are missing. I look up at Jared, who's holding my sword with a wicked grin. He throws it away so far that I can't get it without having to pass them. I growl at them as they approach them.

"You've got guts," Karai cracks her knuckles. "Let's see if we can pound that out of the both of you."

April pulls out her weapon she got not too long ago, her tessen. I make my hands chilly as snowflakes come out of them. "A tessen. Beautiful. Unassuming, but very powerful. In the right hands," Jared grins at April. April attacks while I move my hands forward, creating a wave of ice towards Jared. He jumps out of the way. Karai throws April over her shoulder, knocking her to the ground.

"April!" I shout and because I'm distracted, Jared kicks me and I slide near April. I help her stand up and she takes a stance. Karai throws away her tessen like it's nothing. We both attack our opponents, but they dodge so easily that we can't hit them. April then kicks Karai in the cheek as I punch Jared in the face. They both rub their hit points.

"Good one."

"Glad you enjoyed it," April spits back.

"We're gonna regret going after us," I grit my teeth.

"Don't even get us started on how you and your friends betrayed us," Jared points at me.

"Now it's our turn," Karai grins and they ready their stances. When April runs towards Karai, she kicks the girl. April flips onto her feet while I backflip away from Jared. Karai attacks April with ferocity, hitting her everywhere. April falls down, but she slowly gets back up. Jared punches me in the face and I land on my hands, kicking him away. April moves slowly towards Karai and when she tries to punch, Karai grabs her, puts her body on her knee, and knocks her down.

"Stop attacking her!" I throw my hands forward to throw ice arrows at the two, but they dodge them. Karai kicks an arrow back to me, hitting me in the shoulder. I grunt in pain, holding my right shoulder before Jared palm strikes me near April. April slowly gets up, but Karai kicks her to near the subway entrance. Jared kicks me in the stomach so that I land next to April.

"What makes you two so special?" Karai pushes down April's head with her foot as Jared kicks me in the head. They walk away from us and I breathe slowly as I look over to April.

"You're the center of an alien conspiracy, protected by mutants, and trained by a great ninja master. Why?" Jared wonders and we attack them from behind.

"We don't know!" April calls out as she struggles with Karai. "I'm flunking trig."

"Our friends are mutants," I hold Jared by his hair.

"Aliens got her mom and my dad," April is standing near the stairs to the subway.

"I have ice powers that I don't understand," I struggle with the ninja before they tackle us down.

"And we both lost a parent!" April and I shout in unison. They both immediately stop.

"What? You both lost a parent?" Karai asks in confusion.

 _They key is to unbalance your opponent._

April grabs Karai by the collar, kicking her over the stairs. I grab Jared by his shoulder and throw him too, and they we hear them fall down until nothing else. "Not bad for a nobody," April grunts and I put her arm over my shoulder, guiding her away from the stairs. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, you?" I ask in exhaustion and she nods.

"Amy?"

"What?"

"I'm glad that we're friends."

I smile at her. "I am too." We both hug briefly before I drive away on the bike with her.

* * *

Soon we get a call from Donnie, or at least April. "Hey Donnie."

"April! You're okay! You hear that, guys? My sweet princess is alive!" Donnie calls out in relief, April and I glancing at each other. "Did I mute that?"

"Let's agree that you did."

"You got it," Donnie laughs and then I get a call. I pick it up, already knowing that it's Leo.

"Ames!"

"Hi Leo," I laugh at his tone.

"Oh thank goodness, my hana is alive too! Do you have any idea how worried I was?!" He continues ranting and I roll my eyes playfully, putting down my phone and walking away to get a drink.

* * *

The turtles have arrived back as we're finishing the story in front of everyone. But Leo looked freaked out for some reason and he keeps glancing at me. I'm not sure why, but whatever happened on that mission, he didn't want to talk about it. And I'm not gonna push him to say anything. "And when their guards were down, we flipped them down the subway steps and bolted."

"And that's pretty much it," I finish for her.

"That is awesome!"

"You rock!"

"Kick butt!"

"Impressive, girls. You used your training well, and you fulfilled the most important goal of the ninja: to come home alive. And another important one: protecting each other," Splinter gestures to us.

April and I grin at each other as April puts her arm around my shoulder, hugging me slightly. "Thank you, sensei. I guess I can take care of myself after all."

"Yes...and no." All of us are confused by what he means.

"Karai may have failed this time, but if Shredder wants you, he will stop at nothing to find you. And with the Kraang already after you as well, the wisest decision is for you to remain here in the sewers with us," He looks at April. "And...to remove Amelia from any more missions."

"What?!" We both exclaim in shock and I turn to the turtles, wondering if they knew about this.

"Oh that's great!" Donnie says happily, seeing us not amused. "I mean, oh, that's horrible. That, you know, your life as you know it is-is over and, um, I'll shut up now."

"I can't stay down here. I mean, what about school, my friends, everything?" April wonders, sitting down and hugging her knees.

"And taking me off of missions? Why? That wasn't a problem before," I protest, gesturing to myself. "I need to fight back against the Kraang."

April sighs as I pace around. "Girls, Master Splinter's right." We both look to Leo. "Until we stop Shredder and the Kraang, this is the only place you're safe."

We both sigh, with me shaking my head. "We're only taking you off temporarily for a little while, so you're not entirely banned," Leo tells me gently, taking my hand. "Okay?"

I say nothing, glancing at April. "So, once we stop them, we can have our lives back?" April asks, Leo crossing his arms.

"Yes."

April takes a few seconds before lifting her head with a determined look. "Let's get started."

"Ames?" Leo sounds worried and I heave a sigh.

"Fine. I'll rest...but only for a week," I point at him and Splinter. "If you try to boot me in the next mission, I won't make any more cookies."

"Deal," Leo chuckles and he kisses my cheek. Splinter nods in agreement with an amused smile.

* * *

I'm leaning against the tree in the dojo, finishing one of my snacks. I hear someone rolling into the room. Before he can sneak up on me, I turn around to Leo. I give him a smug smile. "Just because I'm not a kunoichi yet doesn't mean you can sneak up on me all the time."

"Fair enough," Leo chuckles, sitting in front of me. "You okay?"

"I guess..." I shrug at him and he frowns. "What?"

"I'm...sorry that Karai went after you and April," He heaves a sigh. "You didn't deserve that..."

"We handled it, Leo," I murmur, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay."

"It's not," He frowns, "You could've been hurt if you weren't training." I say nothing as they didn't exactly go easy. "Are you mad?"

"Not really," I sigh as I know what he means by that. "Getting mad over something that was bound to happen isn't really gonna help things. And neither is you being guilty about it," I give him a look and he smiles weakly.

"Okay, okay, I get it," He holds my hand. "...Thanks for letting me do what my heart thinks is right, Ames. About Karai, that is...and if it still bugs you, you can just tell me, okay? Because I always had feelings for you, and-"

"Leo, it's okay. Really...I'm letting you try to help her because I trust you, and I know you wouldn't hurt me," I smile softly at him and he smiles back. "But sitting around waiting for a week to happen is gonna be boring," I pout angrily. Leo grins smugly.

"I know what you can do to pass the time," He leans in and I grin back. He gently kisses me, his fingers running through my hair, giving me tingles. His tongue gently feels around the inside of my mouth, making me moan gently. He pushes me slowly onto the rug, never breaking the kiss. I think we're all alone as Leo gently holds my waist, my arms around his neck. He caresses my waist with his smooth fingers and I wrap my legs around his plastron.

Someone clears his throat, causing Leo and I to open our eyes. Our lips are still touching as we both look up at Splinter.

"Leonardo Hamato and Amelia Smith! What do you think you are doing?" He crosses his arms, his face looking stern.

Leo releases his lips, looking up at him nervously while chuckling. "Sensei...how long were you standing there?"

"Long enough," Splinter says thinly and we both chuckle awkwardly. I forgot his room was in the dojo... "Both of you, Randori! Now!"

We both groan in unison, our heads looking down as Leo's chin is above my forehead. Man, this week is gonna suck.


	22. The Pulverizer Returns

**Angel: Hello everyone, hope you had a good Christmas or your respective holiday that you celebrate :3 Only four more chapters left! Wow, I'll be done before the new year...honestly, this year felt like a blur to me XD But we'll see what the new year holds for us...**

I'm laying down on the couch upside down, with my hair splayed on the ground as I'm flipping through channels in boredom. The guys were getting ready for patrol, and since it hasn't been a week yet, I get to stay in the lair again...Not only did they take me off missions, but I can't go on patrol either. They didn't want to take any chances of me bumping into the Foot or Kraang. I'm tired of being cooped up in here, I wanna go outside! Sure, April's living here now, but it's not the same. I hear footsteps and I sigh as not even Space Heroes is on...

"Hey Amy~" Raph says in a teasing voice and I ignore him.

"Guess what?!" Mikey asks in excitement and I whine, covering my face with my hair.

"Man, it's not time for this. Just go on patrol. Bring me back something," I wave them off and I hear Donnie chuckles.

"Don't you know what tonight is?"

"Another pizza night?"

"No...maybe," I hear from Leo as there was a small pause. I stifle a laugh, moving away my hair to look at them.

"Are you gonna tell me or not?"

Raph grins, holding out my sword. "It's your first night back out on patrol."

I gasp, my eyes shining in surprise. "Really?!"

"Really really, dudette!" Mikey exclaims happily and I sit up.

"Yay!" I hug Leo and he hugs me back, laughing at my expression as he kisses my forehead.

"Hurry up or we're goin' without ya," Raph crosses his arms.

"Shut up, Raph! Thank you universe!" I shout, running to my room.

* * *

Later, we're fighting the Foot, with Raph knocking ninjas around like it's nothing. "I can do this all night." A ninja jumps down to him and Raph punches him in the back, kicking him away. He looks around as there's no more for us to fight. "Aw man."

"Raph, if you keep breaking your toys, we're not gonna buy you new ones," Leo teases as he lets go of a ninja.

"Dude, it's like we just cleared a video game on easy," Mikey comments, gesturing to the ninja.

"Mikey, if Master Splinter has taught us anything, it's that real combat is not like a video game," Leo recites and Donnie bends down to the surface.

"Hey, coins!" I swear I heard a ding sound, but maybe that's just me.

"The Foot soldiers haven't been much of a challenge lately. Wonder why," Leo states, as they've been fighting them on patrol, but they come back in like 30 minutes after nothing.

"Seriously, I felt like I was fighting the Purple Dragons," I look down at the defeated ninja.

"Good to have ya back," Raph grins at the comment, patting my shoulder from behind. "But maybe we're just that awesome."

"That sounds right," Leo grins as Raph crosses his arms with a smug look.

"You know who I'd hate to be?" Donnie smirks as he joins us. "The guy who has to tell Shredder about this."

"Ooo, knowing him it'd had to be his most loyal soldier," I grin at them and they fist bump me.

"Let's get some celebratory pizza now that our dudette's back with us!" Mikey hugs my waist and I chuckle.

"Mikey...we're still on patrol," I point out to him and he groans.

"Fine...we'll have pizza later," He pouts and I roll my eyes playfully.

* * *

We're watching TCRI in case the Kraang decided to try anything. Mikey's sitting on the water tower, bouncing his ball up and down as Raph's sitting near him. Leo's holding my waist as he's bent down slightly. Raph growls at Mikey and I feel fingers running through my ends.

"What are you doing?" I chuckle down at Leo.

"It's soft," He murmurs, twirling a piece around his finger. I glance at Donnie, who just shrugs with a grin.

"Stop it," I giggle, moving my hair away, but he continues fiddling with it. I roll my eyes in defeat. Oh well, at least I have a way to get the knots out of my hair now.

"Alright, guys. Let's pack it in. Nothing's happening," Leo sighs in defeat, letting go of my hair and he stands up.

"I was afraid this day would come," Raph sighs a little, standing up. "We've run out of butts to kick." He jumps and kicks Mikey's ball all the way to the street.

"Hey!" Mikey protests and something catches Leo's attention.

"Wait," he bends down, "Maybe not." He brings me closer so I can see, the other two turtles joining us. There's a black-clad ninja sneaking towards the building.

"Foot Clan!" Mikey exclaims as we recognize that uniform anywhere.

"I don't get it. Just one guy?" Raph asks in confusion. He looks to be very pudgy, and not slim like all the other Foot ninja we've seen.

"Maybe they only need one guy," We turn to Mikey. "Maybe this guy is the meanest, baddest, most deadly ninja we've ever seen."

The ninja tries to jump up to the opening, struggling to even hold on. "Or not," Donnie dismisses, Leo grinning smugly as he holds my waist a little tighter. I giggle, resting my head in the crook of his neck.

"This is kind of sad, but yet I'm laughing," I say as when he does manage to get there, he's too big to fit even.

"Anybody else find this dude kind of adorable?" Mikey asks as we watch him. You can't help but pity him a little...but just a smidge.

"Well, he's not much, but it's all we've got," Leo stands up. "Let's go." We jump down into the alley, but as soon as we move, more Foot ninja drop in out of nowhere, surrounding us. "Ambush!"

We pull out our weapons, Raph grinning like it's Christmas. "Alright!" We jump forward and soon, all of the ninja are defeated with basic moves involving our weapons and feet. They then jump up to the rooftops, leaving behind their own ally, wow. Even they don't care about him. He jumps down from the building, looking around.

"Everything okay? I heard-" Donnie trips him and he turns back to look at us as Donnie and I are pointing our weapons at him. "Wait, Donnie, my love, it's me!"

"What?" We both ask in confusion as Donnie removes the mask to reveal... "The Pulverizer?!"

"Oh no," I hold my hair in horror. Out of all of the people we've met, it had to be Pulverizer?

"Hey guys!" He chuckles, holding my hand. "My lady!"

Leo grunts, pushing Pulverizer away and they both are glaring at each other. "This is so cool. We're fighting for her love."

"No...just no..." I sink slightly as the others are trying not to laugh.

"How awesome is this? Bet you guys were wondering when you'd see me again," He grins at us.

"No," Raph looks away and Pulverizer laughs, putting his arm around his shoulder.

"Raphael, still the jokester, I see." He chuckles, "Good one," Raph cracks his arm. "Ow!"

"You may be annoying, but you're still laughable with my sista," Raph mutters under his breath and I step on his foot. "Ow!"

"Hey, what do you guys think of my new threads? I'm a ninja now, just like you, my fair maiden," Pulverizer winks at me and I pinch my nose.

"Pulverizer," I say slowly, "It is not gonna happen nor am I gonna just up and leave Leo," I gesture to the turtle, Leo sighing in relief. Why is he relieved, he wasn't like this before.

"How in the...what are you doing with the Foot?" Donnie demands as he holds the mask.

"Well, last time, you and Amy~" I roll my eyes at how starry eyed he was. "Told me I needed to practice. So I joined a Bradford dojo to hone my craft. I wowed 'em with my smooth moves. And boom! They liked me so much, they asked me if I wanted to join the Foot Clan."

My eye twitches in disbelief that the Foot Clan, Shredder's clan, took in Pulverizer willingly. The Foot, possibly the most dangerous people that I've come across, took in the Pulverizer. The Foot, whose leader _almost killed me took in the Pulverizer._ Why would they take in a wannabe hero like him? I don't know. Are they really that desperate to defeat us or are they just stupid?

We're all blinking at him. "Wow, they must be really hurting for dudes," Mikey murmurs to himself.

"For real," I whisper to them.

"I've only been with 'em for a few days, and I've already made the rank of ashigaru-sha. Ha." Donnie and I facepalm.

"Do you know what ashigaru-sha means?" Donnie asks expectantly.

"No."

"It means cannon fodder," Donnie explains to him and he chuckles.

"Wow."

"Do you know what THAT means?" I ask him and he shakes his head.

"No."

I sigh slowly. "In traditional Japanese warfare, the ashigaru-sha were the expendable soldiers who were sent in first to waste the enemy's ammunition and set off traps before the real soldiers arrived," I tell him, as I read about this in a book Leo showed me once.

"Nah, nah, the Foot wouldn't do that. We're the good guys," Pulverizer denies and I scoff at Donnie.

"Why would you think that?" Donnie asks him as those guys have done nothing to prove they're on our side.

"We're out there fighting the Kraang just like you. I-I mean, I-I do check for traps, and I-I do get shot at a lot. And-and now that you mention it, they-they do keep calling me expendable. But isn't that an act of bravery, my princess?" He leans in towards me and I smack him on the head. "Ow."

"Princess," Raph laughs slightly.

"Shush," I glare at him.

"Oh come on, let him go on. Maybe he'll give you flowers and chocolate while he's at it," Raph hugs Leo as he's laughing.

"...I can totally do that for you," Pulverizer says and I throw up my arms.

"NO!"

"Why are the Foot fighting the Kraang?" Leo changes the subject and Pulverizer smiles, a light bulb going off near his head.

"I can totally find that out for you. I could be a spy!"

"Pulverizer, do yourself a favor and quit the Foot," Donnie throws his mask away.

"And stop with all the fanboying over me, it's annoying," I deadpan as he picks up his mask. He whines before he lifts his head, chuckling as he turns to us.

"Oh, sure. I'll quit the Foot and stop fantasying," He winks at us.

"No, we're serious," Donnie crosses his arms.

"Of course you're serious," He continues with the god dang winking.

"We are! Stop winking!" We both yell at him.

"Right." he runs off. "I'll recon intel and, uh, send you a text. I'm in ninja stealth mode. My lady, I will come back for you and take you from Leo's clutches!" He backs away and steam comes from my head. He moves away and then there's a crash. "Sorry."

Raph and Mikey stifle a laugh. Donnie and Leo back away as I give the two laughing turtles a death glare. "Shut up?" Mikey asks Raph nervously.

"Shut up," Raph agrees.

* * *

We're all standing in front of Splinter. Each turtle is standing in order of age and I'm standing next to Leo. Raph and Mikey are trying not to smile for what happened earlier. "Hey Raph," I hear Mikey whisper.

"Yeah?" Raph snickers.

"Do it again."

"...My fair maiden," Raph and Mikey are giggling. Donnie and Leo step on their foots in unison.

"Ow!"

I roll my eyes at their immaturity. Splinter crosses his arms. "You five have defeated much of the Foot Clan with ease." Raph turns to Leo.

"Why does he make that sound like a bad thing?"

"Because you have grown complacent!" Splinter scolds, Raph cringing. "Each of you has become dependent on your own weapon. But there are times when you may not be able to fight with what you know. And when that happens, you must adapt to your environment."

"Oh, yeah? What if there's only, say a comic book?" Mikey holds up a comic book, Splinter pushing him to the ground.

"Anything can be a weapon."

"Sensei, you can't seriously send us out there armed with nothing but a comic book," Raph says in disbelief.

"Please don't," I say in worry. "I don't want that."

"For a ninja, anything can be a weapon," Splinter repeats.

"So what do you want us to do?" Leo asks curiously.

"I want you to embrace the unfamiliar. Switch weapons." Our eyes widen as we glance at each other. Okay then...

It was decided that since two of five have swords, to make sure that the only two who are experienced with them that we don't get each other's swords. So Mikey gets Leo's swords, Donnie gets Raph's sais, Leo gets Donnie's staff, Raph gets my sword, and I get Mikey's nunchucks. Mikey holds up the swords.

"Look, I'm Leo. Guys, shh. We have to be quiet. Ninjas are quiet. Quiet down." Raph, Donnie, and I are laughing, but Leo is unamused.

"I sound nothing like that!" He argues, Raph turning to him.

"Yes, that's why we're laughing, because you sound nothing like that," Raph points to him as I'm still giggling.

"Ames," Leo complains and I lean in, kissing his cheek.

"Relax. I'm laughing with you, not at you."

"But he's not laughing," Donnie points out.

"Because he just doesn't see the humor," I shrug and Leo shakes his head with a small smile.

"Thanks anyway." Yay, he's not mad at me.

We all take our stances, me against all of them, but we're not too sure what to do. Or at least, the turtles since they've never used each other's weapons. Leo holds the staff like a baseball bat, Raph tries to hold the sword like his sai, Donnie tries to make the sai into a staff, and Mikey holds up the katanas.

"Haijime!"

Raph holds the sword into the air, but he misses. Leo trips while using the staff and I knock them both down with the nunchucks. Mikey spins the swords, but they fly out of his hands. He looks up just in time for the swords to land in front of him. I swing the chain to trap Mikey. Donnie pokes himself with the sai. "Ow!" I jump into the air and spin around, smacking Donnie to the ground with a nunchuck.

"Ya me!"

I look down at them before all four stand up. "That was messed up," Mikey comments as he's still trapped with the chain.

"You will continue to fight this way. It will teach you resourcefulness and versatility. Amelia, switch back with Raphael."

"What?" Raph demands as Mikey wiggles out of the chain. "Why does she get her weapon back and we're stuck with ours?"

Splinter gives him a look as I switch back with him to get my sword. "I mean, yeah, sure. Here ya go," Raph smiles widely.

"Clearly Amelia can adapt," Splinter places a hand on my shoulder. "And she is clearly more experienced." He grins in amusement as the turtles huff, crossing their arms. This is payback for laughing at me with Pulverizer, so I'm not gonna say anything.

"Not so hard, is it?" Mikey winks at me as he glances at Raph.

"I'll get the hang of it," Raph smacks himself in the head with the nunchuck, Mikey laughing. Raph growls slightly at him.

* * *

Mikey uses Leo's swords to cut up his pepperoni and mushroom pizza that was to celebrate my first patrol in a week. He uses the swords as a pizza kabob, eating one happily. Raph practices with the nunchucks, spinning them carefully so that he doesn't hit himself again. Leo uses the staff as a baseball bat, Donnie poking the sai. I'm drinking my vanilla milkshake as I'm watching TV, sighing at Leo's practicing.

"No, just no," I snatch the staff from him and spin it. "Like that."

"Oh," He takes it back and tries to spin it, but it flies out of his hands and into the water. "Sorry," He grins sheepishly at Donnie who's giving him a look. I just giggle, leaning and kissing his beak.

"Well...not all of us can be experts at a stick," I go to grab the staff back, leaving a red-faced Leo. Donnie's phone rings and he looks to see a text.

"Uh oh. Text message from you-know-who." All of us except Mikey knows he's talking about the Pulverizer. "Text message from everybody-but-Mikey-knows-who." Mikey gives him a thumbs up as I facepalm myself. We all join him. "The Pulverizer's telling us where the Foot are gonna strike next."

"What do you know?" Raph spins a nunchuck in front of Donnie. "He's actually useful."

"Yeah, but he can't stay in the Foot. They'll toast him," Donnie informs him.

"He may be creepy and relentless in his...'love' for me," I put in air quotes, "But come on, you can't just let this keep going. Who knows what could happen?"

"Don't tell me you're actually thinking about him," Leo frowns in sadness and I shake my head.

"God no. I just think that he's so pitiful that he shouldn't be in the Foot. He's just a...doofus." I stifle a laugh as I remember Splinter saying that about him.

"Inside information, guys?" Raph points the nunchuck at us. "It's worth the risk."

"But we're not the ones taking the risk, the Pulverizer is," Donnie states in worry.

"I know. It's the perfect plan," Raph grins, shrugging.

"Yeah, but we're risking a human life for our own benefit. That's wrong, you guys. Even if it is Pulverizer, we shouldn't risk his own life," I glance at Leo with a pleading look. Curse my caring nature. Leo sighs in defeat.

"Alright. We'll follow up on his lead and then bust the poor guy out of the foot," Leo kisses my forehead.

"Excuse me?" Mikey waves the swords. "I'm the sword guy. I make the decisions here. Uh...what Leo said."

Leo nods at us and we walk away, Mikey grinning.

* * *

We get to TCRI and Pulverizer is sneaking around when Donnie grabs him. "Oh, hey, great. You got my message. I have some information for you," He whispers to us.

"Great, great, but we're getting you out of here first," Donnie holds him up and we hear a growl, turning to Dogpound and Fishface. The Foot jump down from behind.

"As soon as we get ourselves outta here," Raph replies, Donnie standing in front of Pulverizer.

"Just stay behind us and-"

"Help! It's the turtles and my not girlfriend! They've got me!" He exclaims and I turn to him sharply.

"What?"

"WHAT?!" Leo and I exclaim.

"Sorry, guys. Can't blow my cover," He whispers to us.

"Not cool, bro," Mikey comments as I'm glaring at him.

"And I'm not even your girlfriend," I hiss.

"Not yet," He winks at me and it takes all of my might to not wanna strangle him right now. Fishface and Dogpound approach.

"Spread out!" Leo orders as we stand by each other.

"As the one with the swords, I say retreat!" Mikey calls out.

"Having the swords doesn't make you leader," Leo tells him. He charges towards Dogpound, who grabs the staff, picks Leo up, and throws him to us. "Not that it's a bad idea, retreat!" We all jump over Dogpound's fist and when Raph and Leo try to get away, he throws a trash can at them. I jump into the air and spin, attacking him with my sword. Fishface knocks into Raph, who swings the nunchucks at him, but he can't get a good hit on him. Fishface kicks him away as Donnie faces two ninjas at the fire escape. Leo is knocked by Mikey, who gets hit in the head with his own nunchuck.

"Whoa! Watch where you swing that thing!"

"You should talk." Mikey turns to see that he's pointing the swords at Leo.

"Sorry. My bad."

I plant my sword into the ground, spinning around and kicking away ninjas. Donnie falls near us. "Oh, this won't work."

We all glare at them as we back away, cornered. It seems like Leo's had enough too. "Switch weapons!" They throw their weapons into the air and they fall back into their respective owner's hands. Leo jumps, swinging his swords at Dogpound. Raph spins, kicking Fishface away and a ninja.

"This is more like it!" Mikey exclaims to Raph.

"Oh yeah. There's something really satisfying about not losing," Raph grins as Donnie knocks out a ninja. He spins his staff and swings. Mikey jumps to the fire escape and lands in front of two ninjas, swinging his spinning nunchucks and knocking out two ninjas. Raph, Donnie, and Leo knock out the rest of the ninjas. A door opens from the TCRI building as two ninjas are holding mutagen. I fling my hands, firing ice at them, but they jump past it, getting away in their can with Dogpound and Fishface.

"Guys, mutagen! The Foot are stealing mutagen!" Donnie exclaims in shock.

"Shredder with mutagen? Well, that can't be good," Raph comments and we hear a voice behind us.

"Over here!"

We run up to Pulverizer who was hiding behind the dumpster this whole time. "You don't have to hide, Pulverizer. The Foot are gone," Mikey says to him, and even he sounds annoyed.

"You shouldn't use my real name," Pulverizer replies in a deep voice.

"Your real name is Pulverizer?" Mikey asks in confusion.

"No, it's Timothy," He continues with the deep voice, gasping. "Amothy! That's a ship name, Amothy!" Donnie grabs him by the collar.

"Stop talking like that, Tim."

"Guys! You'll never guess what Shredder's gonna do with the mutagen!" He exclaims in excitement.

"He's gonna create a mutant army to destroy us?" I deadpan and he looks away.

"Yeah, but there-there's a lot more to it than that," He smiles widely and I cross my arms.

"Really?"

"No," He sighs in defeat. "You guessed. I'm sorry I had to betray you, my beloved. You understand, it was my duty."

"Beloved?" I raise an annoyed eyebrow, Raph and Mikey snickering.

"Pulverizer," Donnie sighs a little, "You're in over your head. Go home."

"Wait, not until he finds out more about Shredder's mutation plan," Leo interrupts and Timothy cheers.

"Yeah, baby. The Pulverizer stays in the game. Up high!" He holds out his hand, but none of them in their right mind high threes him. Thank goodness. "Okay then. I'm off!" He walks past us. "What kind of chocolates do you like, my lady? No wait, I'll surprise you! I'm practically invisible and romantic!" He runs off into the street, causing a crash. "Oh, I'm okay. Sorry. I'm gonna go spy now!"

Not really a spy if he can't keep his mouth shut from the public about it... "Unbelievable," I shake my head as my arms are crossed.

"So what if Shredder's building an army of mutants?" Raph asks confidently, cracking his knuckles. "They're still no match for my sais. High three!" Leo and Mikey both high three him, but Donnie and I do not. I can't help but feel that this is gonna come back to bite Timothy, and Donnie knows it too. After all, Splinter said we're responsible for him...and other crazy stuff about me, and we still have to look after the guy. Not that I want him to lust after me. I don't wish death upon him. I hope he lives and suffers for that, but him in the Foot just isn't safe for the guy.

* * *

The turtles are laughing as they jump inside the lair. "And I was, like, making the bucks with my nunchucks!" Mikey spins his nunchucks.

"I was dropping the Foot like flies with my sais," Raph spins his sais, jumping to Mikey.

"Yeah Raph! Leo?"

"I had my kursawa swinging and singing," Leo points to the air, both Raph and Mikey laughing as I push past the turnstiles. "Ames?"

"Huh? Don't you realize what we're practically doing?"

"Guys, maybe it's not such a great idea—sending the Pulverizer into harm's way," Donnie voices his concerns.

"Donnie's right. I can't just sit by and let you guys do this to him," I cross my arms.

"You two worry too much. I think you might be falling in love with him, ice princess, since you actually care."

"Dude. Dude, no," Mikey warns as I glare at him, fire in my eyes. He backs away slowly and Leo pats my shoulder. Raph spins his sai, only for Splinter to catch it from his hand.

"So you decided not to follow my lesson."

"Sensei, we don't get it. How does switching weapons help us in a fight? We were doing fine on our own," Raph crosses his arms.

"Then you still do not understand the point of the lesson. So you will learn to adapt by having no weapons."

"Huh?" We all ask in shock.

"What?"

"Hand over your weapons! Now! You too, Amelia. If you can adapt with a different weapon, then surely you can do the same with nothing. And no using your powers."

"Ah, what?" I grumble as we hand them over. Thanks a lot, Raph, with your big mouth.

* * *

Donnie paces around as Leo and I are watching Space Heroes. He has his arms wrapped around me, but they don't feel as warm as he would usually hold me. I wonder if something's bothering him.

Donnie's T-Phone rings and he looks at it. "Oh, it's our spy," He calls out and I roll my eyes. The guy may be pitiful, but he's still human...deep, deep, DEEP down past the fanboying over me.

"This is special agent Delta Niner calling from behind enemy lines," Timothy says into the phone and I rub a temple. He is way too excited for this.

"Spit it out, Timothy," Donnie deadpans as the others are not amused.

"Okay. The mutation experiment is going down on Broom Street in the Bowery. They're on their way there now," Timothy reports, "And that's not all. You ready for this? Are you ready?"

"Yes," We all deadpan so he can just say it.

"Shredder's gonna mutate just one Foot soldier first as a test. And guess what? I volunteered!"

"What?!" Donnie and I exclaims and he just laughs in excitement.

"I know! Isn't that cool?"

"No!" Donnie and I yell at him with white eyes. "Why would you think that's cool?"

"Donnie..." I learn forward to whisper in his ear. "It's Pulverizer."

"...I hate it when you're right, but at the same time, I love it," Donnie deadpans.

"This is my chance to be like you guys. Throw some mutagen on me, and boom! I'm a superhero. I'm taking Shredder down." I understand that he wants to make something of himself, but mutation is not the way to go. True, he's not the best fighter...or really has any experience, but there are people who are like superheroes every day, without training or powers like me. If anything, he should become a cop or a firefighter. Mutation is dangerous and risky, he has no idea what he's getting himself into. I would know, we've definitely had our fair share of mutants lately that are dangerous. What if it doesn't help him at all? He hasn't even touched the turtles or any other mutants without the gloves on. How would that play into his mutation? You have to touch an animal or plant, which he has not done. Maybe he should look up how mutation actually WORKS.

"The mutagen is dangerous," Donnie warns him, "You have no idea what that stuff could do to you."

"Yeah, what if it warps your brain? Shouldn't you think about this rationally?" I ask him.

"Once I mutate, I'll unleash my mighty mutant powers on Shredder. I'll be all-" he mimics karate yells and I roll my eyes. "No need to worry, my lady. I'll impress you and be your hero."

"Would you stop calling me that and listen to us for a minute?!" I scream as Raph and Mikey are laughing.

"Ooh, gotta go. Signing off."

I growl lowly as he hangs up. "I knew we should've gotten that guy out when we had the chance!" Donnie exclaims as Leo's mouth is a thin line.

"Well, we're gonna get him out now. Let's go," Leo declares, running to the entrance. We follow after him and I backflip over the turnstiles. We pile into the Shellraiser and take off down the subway tunnel.

* * *

Once on the street, we just happen to catch the Foot on motorcycles. "The Foot!" Raph exclaims as I'm driving. I skid the car to the right, bumping right into a soldier. One of them has Timothy tied up. Fishface stays behind as he turns the bike around and starts driving right towards us. "Eat hot trash, fish boy!" Raph fires the garbage cannons, but Fishface drives right past them. One of them does hit the bike, but Fishface ends up landing on the roof. We can hear the skids from his robotic feet.

"Uh oh," Raph comments as we hear him kicking.

"He's on the roof!" Donnie calls out.

"I got this," Raph stands up and opens the lid to the roof. Fishface immediately jumps at him and Raph ducks, closing the door. Mikey screams at Raph's missing head, but it turns out he just retracted it in his shell. He glances at Mikey.

Fishface continues kicking at the door, the others looking up. "Alright, Plan B," Raph pulls a lever, causing the cannon to spin around and knock Fishface off. "Whatcha gonna do now?" Fishface plants his foot into the tire, causing me to lose control. "Why do I ask these questions? Why?" Raph crosses his arms bitterly.

The car eventually falls onto the side, causing us to scream as we come to a stop. We manage to get out and I glance at Donnie. "Splinter once told Amy and I the Pulverizer is our responsibility. We gotta stop him," Donnie makes the Stealth Bike appear. He puts on his helmet and gets in. I jump onto the back, holding on as we chase after the Foot, leaving the others behind.

Donnie turns right as we try to get there as fast as we can. If we don't make it, he could become a mutant, and lose his little, little humanity. He needs to know that this is dangerous, not that I care about him. I personally still dislike him, but my nature just tells me to do the right thing, even if I disagree with it. It's just...wrong to leave him to be mutated, for the sole reason of sanity. I can't just allow him to risk his life anymore with a dangerous clan like the Foot, and I know that he wants to turn on them, but I'm entirely sure that if he even did, it wouldn't look good for him. He needs to leave the mutant stuff to us.

Donnie crashes into the window from above and we both backflip, grabbing Timothy and rolling to a stop. "Get them," Dogpound points at us and we go to grab our weapons, only to remember we don't have them.

"Huh? Aw, sewer apples."

"What now?" I ask Donnie as we look around. He sees a broom and kicks it into the air, spinning and hitting a Foot solider in the head with it. I see a left-behind yo-yo and grab it, spinning it around and hitting a solider on the head with the top. Donnie spins the broom around, fending himself off with two Foot soldiers. Meanwhile, Timothy sneaks off, causing us to look around.

"Now's my chance!" He's running towards the mutagen. Donnie and I are knocked to the ground by a soldier. Donnie kicks him from behind, swinging and knocking him down. I flip onto my feet, spinning the yo-yo around and capturing a Foot soldier. I jump into the air and release him, knocking him onto the floor harshly.

Donnie and I run up to Timothy as he pulls the lever, about to release the mutagen on him. "Timothy, no!" Donnie pulls him away. "What are you doing?"

"I'm gonna be a mutant like you!" He says enthusiastically.

"This isn't right, you don't need to be a mutant," I tell him and he opens his mouth. I stop him by holding up a hand. "If you say a nickname for me, I'll punch you in the face."

"Um, Amy has a point. Doing the mutation thing is notoriously unpredictable and really stupid!"

Dogpound grabs him from behind, throwing him away. Donnie jumps into the air as the mutant punches the ground. I leap into the air, spinning the yo yo, but he grabs my leg and throws me onto the ground. "I'll save you, my fair maiden and Donatello!" Timothy calls out, running towards the machine.

"Wait, didn't you hear what we-No!" Dogpound jumps in front of us and we kick him, jumping onto his head.

"We're saving you, you idiot!" We push him out of the way, only for Fishface to kick us. Donnie grabs a rope while I grab a chain, spinning around, cheering as we kick him several times, landing on the ground. "That was fun," I grin at Donnie.

"Oh, definitely," We high three each other, going to grab our temporary weapons. "Okay. Now we're getting outta here." We look up at all of the heavily-armed Foot soldiers. "Hopefully."

We hear glass breaking and we all gasp as we look to see the other turtles crashing in, landing in front of us. They go to grab their weapons that they obviously don't have. "Huh? Oh yeah, no weapons." Leo growls in slight frustration. "Spread out, guys. Remember, anything can be a weapon." Donnie and I run forward while they look around for weapons. Raph gets a plank, Mikey gets a chain, and Leo gets a pipe. Donnie spins around his broom, kicking away a ninja. Leo spins on the floor and swings his pipe around. Raph hits a soldier with his plank, swinging around and hitting another one. Mikey rolls over his shell, swinging his chain and knocking down a soldier. He traps another in the chain, swinging him around. Dogpound stands up, looking towards Timothy and I narrow my eyes, jumping in front of him and grabbing his arm with the yo yo. Dogpound pulls against it as I try to get him away from the boy.

"My lady! Okay, big-dog-man-thing. You asked for it!" Timothy threatens, Dogpound only chuckling as he knocks me down. Timothy then runs towards the machine. "My mutation!"

"Wait, what? NO!" I yell at him, but he pulls the lever anyway, the mutagen falling towards him.

"Oh, this is gonna be-" The mutagen lands on his face and he screams, everyone turning to him. "Oh, it burns! I didn't think it would burn so bad," His voice sounds distorted as he walks around, Dogpound backing away. "Oh, it really burns." he groans and screams, the soldiers running away from him.

"What happened?" Raph asks as we all cringe.

"Pulverizer got his wish," Donnie explains.

"And we got a problem," Leo backs away.

"That dude's straight nasty!" Mikey exclaims as we back away to the boxes, Leo pulling me away gently.

"Holy mackerel!" Donnie says as we jump onto the crates.

"Timothy is jacked up!" Mikey remarks as we watch him fall onto the ground. There's smoke and then we see him as a tall, ugly blob. You can even see his brain, gross. He screeches, crawling towards the soldiers. I guess when a human doesn't touch an animal or a plant, they turn into...that. We suddenly hear beeping and Donnie looks over to an explosive on the crate!

"Uh oh. The entire warehouse is rigged with plastic explosives!" Our eyes widen and we turn to see two Foot soldiers about to attack us. Donnie fends them off, breaking his broom in the process. We then see Dogpound and Fishface escaping with the Foot.

"Lock 'em in," I hear, my eyes widening. Lock us in?! Timothy extends an arm towards us and we jump out of the way. Leo, Donnie, and I run to the door. Leo pulls at it, but no use.

"We're trapped!" He turns to Donnie, knowing that my powers are not strong enough to break through that metal entrance. If I tried to, it wouldn't break through the first time around, and we don't have time. "We need to get out, now!"

"But what about him?" Donnie looks at Timothy, who melts part of a crate, slithering towards us. He roars and we all throw our weapons, but they have no effect as they melt.

"It just ate our weapons!" Mikey points as we all look in shock.

"And it looks like we're next!" Donnie panics, so we try to get through to him by calling his name. We back away as he flings his arms. "Timothy! Timothy!"

He stops in his tracks, staring at us. "That's right, Timothy. It's us," I gesture to myself. "Amy and the turtles."

He glances at a mirror, looking at what he's become. He touches himself, shocked before he roars, lunging at us. We jump away, and we only have a minute left.

"We still gotta get out of here. Let's go!" Leo declares, but I grab his arm.

"No, not without Timothy," I glare at him and he frowns.

"And how do you two suppose we get that blob outta here?" Mikey asks Donnie and I. Donnie glances at the machine that mutated Timothy, as all the mutagen from it is gone.

"I got an idea. Raph, get the Stealth Cycle. Mikey, get Timothy's attention," Donnie orders, him and Raph running.

"It better take less than ten seconds," Leo calls out and Mikey steps in front of the blob.

"Timothy! Hey, Timothy!" Mikey whistles using his fingers. Timothy starts moving towards him and Mikey backs away, but slowly. Raph turns over the Stealth Cycle, jumping into it and turning it around. Donnie runs up to the machine, vaulting Leo and I to the top. There's only 30 seconds left, so I hope Donnie doesn't get us killed.

"Mikey, lead him over here. Leo, Amy, get ready to jump!" Mikey trips onto the floor, looking up as Timothy is getting closer. "Now!" Leo and I jump, knocking down a container as Donnie pushes Mikey out of the way. The container traps Timothy inside and Donnie looks up at Raph. "Raph!" Raph drives over and skids, making the container fly into the air as the shield forms on the Stealth Bike. Donnie jumps, covering the top with a trash can lid. 5 seconds are left as we're all on top of the Stealth Bike, Raph driving towards the garage. Eventually, the warehouse explodes and we're flying, landing on the ground. Rough landing, but at least we're still alive...

Timothy lands near Donnie, rolling a stop in front of him.

* * *

Splinter examines Timothy, stroking his beard. "Do you think Timothy is happy with his new state of being?"

"Seems that way," Leo tells him as Mikey pokes the glass. "He wanted to be a mutant, and he got his wish." Donnie smacks Mikey's hand away.

"I wish he didn't have to resort to being...this," I gesture to the container.

"Donnie, we're letting you keep him, but you gotta stash him in your lab so I don't have to look at him," Raph speaks up. Donnie places his hand on the glass.

"I promise, Timothy, one day I'll turn ya back..." Timothy just blinks at him. With being a blob, he can't really speak. He doesn't have the mouth muscles for it.

* * *

Leo and I are reading a Space Heroes comic together. It seems peaceful, but not to Leo. It feels like he has something on his mind. "Ames?" He asks, sounding upset and I look at him. He suddenly shoves some pink roses into my hands, making me confused. "Please don't leave me for Timothy."

"What?" I raise an eyebrow. "Leo, were you...jealous? Of Timothy?"

"Well...yeah. You wanting to help him so much wasn't exactly reassuring..."

I stifle a laugh and he stares at me as I start giggling. "Me...and Timothy? Even if he wasn't a mutant like he is now..." I take a deep breath while laughing. "That is never going to be a possibility. Like, ever. That's like saying that I liked him as a person in general. Like, really. Who in their right mind thinks that he's even dating material?"

"Yeah, but..."

"Listen," I interrupt, smiling. "I already have someone who's the cutest, sweetest thing alive. You! Why would I want to give that up? I only wanted to help the guy out because I felt bad for him, not because I liked him. Besides, Splinter already talked to me about this...never again." I shudder at the memory.

He smiles at me. "I'm yours. Only yours." He blushes and holds my cheeks, kissing me briefly and softly.

"Thanks Ames. It's just that...I was afraid that someone like him would take you away with how many times they flirt with you..." He strokes my cheek softly and I shake my head, smiling.

"I wouldn't leave you for anyone," I hug him and he wraps his arms around me. "Thank you for my flowers."

"I won't leave you either," He whispers in my ear, kissing my cheek. "And you're welcome, my hana."

"Where'd you get that idea from, anyway? You know I hate when they do that."

"Raph and Mikey."

"What!" I stand up and storm out of my room, enraged. I turn towards the living room. "RAPHAEL! MICHELANGELO!"

"Oh shell! Run!" Raph shouts to Mikey, wide-eyed. They run past a smirking Donnie out of the lair, with me chasing after them.

"Get back here so I can kick your shells!" I wave a frying pan in my hand that I got from the kitchen.


	23. Parasitica

**Angel: Only 3 more episodes, guys! I'm happy to get this out of the way and move on to...other stories. Like Sophia X...even though I've spent so much time on that XD But hey, I can't help it. I've been busy with the new story that's coming out next Thursday. I have four more chapters for that one :D Anyway, enjoy this chapter because it gets pretty creepy when Leo is 'possessed.' Nothing extreme, but...well, I'll let you be the judge of that!**

Mikey groans as we're driving around, looking for the Kraang. The youngest brother is especially bored as we haven't found a single lead for a few hours now. "Another day, another Kraang hunt..." He appears right beside Raph, surprising him. "Hey Raph, fire the weapons!"

"I don't think so," Raph disagrees, mainly because we're on a public street.

"See, that's your problem. If I was in charge of weapons, I'd be firing at things all the time. That mailbox, blam, that newstand, boom, that port-a-potty, splat!" Mikey exclaims dreamily.

"And that's why you're not in charge of the weapons," Leo speaks up as I turn to him.

"We're not gonna fire randomly on an open street, now tell us which way to go, please."

Mikey slowly sits in his station, thinking. "Okay, you should turn right...three blocks ago."

We all groan at this. We finally reach the Kraang lab, parking in the alley besides the building. Leo looks up at the place. "This must be the hidden Kraang lab," Donnie whispers.

"Let's trash the place!" Raph declares, clenching his fists.

"Hold on, Raph," Leo stops him. "This is a recon mission. We go in there, find out what the Kraang are up to, and then trash the place."

"See? Everyone wins," I pat Raph's back.

"Fine, wake me when we get to the trashing part."

"Don't we always?" I murmur to the others before we sneak in, but the lab is already trashed. There's broken Kraang bodies everywhere.

"Aw man, someone beat us to it," Raph complains and I look down to see some empty mutagen containers.

"It looks like one of their mutagen experiments got away from them," Leo suggests as there's pictures of wasps on the wall.

"Seems they were doing experiments on arthropods," He taps his finger against his chin. "Weird."

"Why would they do that?" I wonder as we take a look around. Mikey giggles as he spins around in a chair. Donnie opens a door to see some left behind equipment.

"Hey, this equipment's still good," He bends down, giggling, "Nice centrifuge." Raph glances at Donnie before looking at Leo and I.

"If I ever get excited about a centrifuge...just put me out of my misery."

"I think I'll pass, Raph," I glance at Leo. He chuckles at me as he holds my hand.

"Hey Donnie, dudette, how big do you think one of those arthropods might be?" Mikey speaks up. Leo and Raph glance at us, and we both look to each other. Why would he ask something like that?

"Well, a bee is about 4 millimeters," Donnie starts off.

"If it's a wasp, it would be...6," I finish off in thought, remembering that's what my father told me from one of his trips to a forest somewhere.

"Then what the heck is that?" Mikey points forward and we whip around to see green eyes in the darkness. It reveals itself to be a giant wasp and it opens its wings, flying towards us. We all dodge past it as the wasp circles back around, knocking itself onto Raph.

"Get it off! Get it off! Get it off!" He calls out as it tries to touch him. Donnie swings and hits the wasp off Raph. It comes back for another attack, this time towards Donnie. The turtle ducks and spins his staff, backing away and getting the wasp away from Raph, knocking it back. Raph runs towards it, but the wasp shows its stinger and Raph jumps over it. The wasp pushes him to the ceiling and he falls to the ground, the wasp looking at Donnie. It stings the wall and Donnie moves back as Leo attacks next, knocking it to the wall. The wasp doesn't stay down for long as we're all hiding.

"We need a plan, and fast!" We all look at Leo.

"I know. I'll catch him with my kusarigama chain," Mikey suggests to him.

"That wasp is too strong. How about this? Mikey, you get it to chase you and we'll ambush it," Leo says, Mikey shaking his head.

"Why don't we ever do my plans?" He complains and I place a hand on his shoulder.

"Mikey, this isn't the time to complain. And besides, we don't know what the wasp could do," I tell him gently. I know he feels like he's not being listened to, but that wasp could break free and who knows what? Not that it was the worst plan ever, it just wasn't a good one.

"Because they're your plans," Leo tells him. "Now go!"

"Hey, you can't just tell him that!" I scold Leo and Mikey groans, rolling his eyes. He stands on top of the container, pointing to the wasp.

"Hey, wasp!" The wasp turns his head to Mikey, who shakes his butt. "Come and get it!" I place a hand on my face that he did that. The wasp immediately starts chasing after Mikey, who screams and moves past the wasp as it tried to attack him. It crawls onto the ceiling and Mikey skids to a stop as he's face-to-face with the wasp. He gasps and screams again, running around in a circle as the wasp follows him. swear, it's like they're from a cartoon.

"He's really turned running away screaming into an art form," Raph comments as we watch them.

"Well, at least he's good at something, right?" Donnie asks and I gasp in disbelief at them. Mikey trips and falls onto the ground. "Good-ish."

I slap them all on the back of the head. "Ow!" Raph turns to me as they rub their heads with confused looks. "What was that for?"

"How can you treat your brother like this?" I gesture to Mikey. "At least he's good at something? They're his plans? He's a part of this team as much you are, you know."

"Amy...it's Mikey," Donnie points out to me.

"So what?!" I whisper and Leo looks at me.

"Mikey's plans aren't exactly the best ones," He pats my arm and I roll my eyes at them.

"Traitors." Mikey has potential, they just don't see it. The wasp tries to sting Mikey and he rolls out of the way. Leo points up to the wasp and we stand on the container.

"On my mark," We watch the two to time it well. "Now!"

Instead of staying put, Mikey throws his chain and we jump as the wasp gets caught in the chain. We all fall on top of each other. "Ha! How you like me now?" The wasp flies back into the air, dragging Mikey with it. He bumps into us.

"A lot less than I did a few seconds ago," Raph retorts as I stand up, dusting the dirt off of me. Leo grabs his sword, kneeling as he looks at the wasp. Mikey's knocked near Donnie and Raph, with the wasp looming over Leo. I help Mikey up before we focus on the wasp, who falls onto the ground in front of us.

"Uh, what just happened?" I ask in confusion before I see that it's missing its stinger.

"See? My plan worked!" Mikey cheers as he pumps a fist. "I tired it out."

"You didn't tire it out, the wasp died because it lost its stinger," Donnie cheers to the green ooze coming from the end.

"Ew," I stick my tongue out at the sight. That is one of the grossest things I've seen ever since I've met them. And Mikey is no exception when it comes to his hygiene. Leo strolls over to us, holding his left arm.

"Yeah, in me." His left arm has the stinger in him. I gasp as I step up to him. "Thanks a lot, Mikey."

I examine it as Raph covers his mouth in disgust. "Sorry dude," Mikey chuckles slightly and Donnie walks up to him.

"Let me see that," He quickly pulls it out of Leo's arm.

"Ow!"

"Are you okay, Leo?" I ask in concern. He looks away as he looks at his arm.

"Pretty sore, but I-I think I'll be..." There's this moment where his head is tilting in an unnatural way. "Fine." Huh...well, he still sounds normal.

"Mutations are generally anthropomorphic," Donnie says as Leo's rubbing the top of his head. "I've never seen mutagen create giants like this before."

"Yeah, real fascinating, Donnie," Raph crosses his arms and I shake my head at him.

"Whoa," We turn to Leo, who's kneeling on the ground. "Look," He removes the newspaper to reveal a yellow sac-like egg. Okay, I got a couple of questions. How did he know to look in that specific spot? It was just a newspaper until he discovered it. Not that I'm doubting his skills, but everyone missed it, including him. So how did Leo know to uncover it in that specific area?

"It's some kind of egg," Donnie suggests as we join him.

"Stand back," Mikey holds out his arms. "I'll handle this."

"I'm betting on the egg," Raph says quickly to me and I laugh. Mikey spins a nunchuck to get rid of it, but Leo grabs his arm, stopping him.

"Wait!" He pushes Mikey's arm back. "We're not hurting it. We came here to find out what the Kraang are up to, and this egg is our only clue." He gestures to the egg. "We should take it back to the lab and let Donnie analyze it."

"Why would the Kraang leave it behind? Don't you think it's a little weird?" I ask skeptically. That egg is already giving me a bad feeling. You can't tell me that not ONE Kraang wasn't able to take this thing? They managed to take the power cell from us, after all.

"Great idea. Let's take the mutant wasp egg into our home where we live," Raph replies sarcastically. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"It's not safe leaving this around," Leo turns to us. "It'll be fine, I'll just keep an eye on it."

I turn to Raph and Donnie, as when we find something from the Kraang, Leo's not this dedicated. He usually leaves it to Donnie. "I'll get it," Mikey offers, reaching out to take it, but Leo stands in front of him.

"Hands off!" He yells defensively, causing Mikey to scream, backing away.

"Dude, are you alright? Cause unmotivated bursts of anger are kind of my thing," Raph wonders and I reach out a hand to Leo.

"Leo, calm down, okay? If you want, I'll take it," I gesture to myself.

"It's just that the egg could be fragile. Michelangelo cannot be trusted with it and certainly not Amelia. She could accidentally freeze it," Leo takes the egg, carrying it like it's his child. "I'll carry it myself." He pushes past Mikey and I, leaving us confused.

"I'm beginning to think he likes that egg more than me," Mikey pouts, Raph putting an arm around his shoulder.

"Well, the egg talks less than you, so there's that."

I roll my eyes, glancing at Donnie. "When did he start calling you by your full name?" He wonders and I shake my head.

"He doesn't." That was so weird. Leo never calls me by my full name. He just calls me Ames or another name now. Even when we weren't together, he never called me by Amelia. Only Splinter does that. And he feels like he can't trust me with an egg all of a sudden? That hurts a little. I thought he already trusted me.

Is that...is that not Leo?

* * *

We arrive back in the Shellraiser. I had to drive since Leo refused to let go of the egg the entire time. He was holding it so protectively that he didn't even wanna sit near me. This is so baffling, since when did he care so much?

Leo steps out first as he carefully moves, as if he'll drop the egg or something. "I got a really bad feeling about keeping that thing in the lair," Raph points to him.

"Raphael," Leo turns around. First Mikey, me, and now Raph? Why is he calling us by our full names so casually? "Think of all we could learn from it."

" _Learn_ from it?" I ask in disbelief as I step out. "What, learn new ways for that thing to possibly harm us?"

"You know what's inside wasp eggs, right?" Raph questions, "Here's a hint: wasps!"

"That's not a hint, dude," Mikey tells him. "You gave it away," Leo and Mikey walk away, the other turtles and I glancing at each other. Mikey may not notice it, but we do. Nevertheless, Donnie just shrugs.

Once Leo finally put down that stupid egg, Donnie examines it. "Fascinating," He reaches out to it with scalpel.

"Stop! What are you doing?!" Leo immediately protests.

"Dissecting it," Donnie says simply and I swear I can see Leo's hand twitching.

"Absolutely not!" Leo pushes Donnie away, standing in front of the egg. "This is the only egg we have. We need to learn how it develops."

"Well, then. I guess I'll just keep...staring at it," Donnie glances at the egg.

"Good idea," Leo points past Donnie. "From over there." Donnie moves to the right slightly, smiling slightly in amusement. Leo glares at him and Donnie takes a few more steps back to us. "I'll keep an eye on our lovechild, Amelia."

"I'm sorry, what?" Donnie asks in confusion as our eyes twitch. You could literally hear the record scratch.

"Our...lovechild?" I ask slowly as I wanted to hear that again. Not because I like it, but because that's weird.

"Why...does that disgust me?" Donnie murmurs slowly.

"Happy parenthood," Raph snorts, crossing his arms.

"Amy was pregnant?" Mikey asks in confusion and this earns the two turtles a slap.

"Well, I think I will do...something in the other room," Donnie turns to us. "Amy, Raph, Mikey, care to join me?"

"Not unless you get more specific," Mikey grins and Donnie pulls him away by the mask tails.

"Come on."

We leave behind a silent Leo, and honestly, I'm a little worried and concerned...but mostly creeped out now.

"Okay, Leo's acting totally weird, right?" Donnie asks once we're in the kitchen.

"Yeah!" Raph agrees with him. "It's like he's obsessed with Amy's baby."

"That's not my...lovechild," I put in air quotes. "I swear, Leo has never said that before. Seriously, it's like he's a whole other person ever since he got stung."

"Let's ask Splinter what to do," Mikey pipes in.

"No dice, guys. Looks like he took April up for a training exercise," Donnie explains and I shake my head, crossing my arms. Great, which means we have to deal with this alone.

"Okay, look, we gotta destroy that egg before it hatches," Raph remarks, slamming his fist onto the table.

"Agreed, but he won't let us get anywhere near it," Donnie reminds him.

"Well, maybe we make him come to us," Mikey suggests and I stand up.

"Well, count me out. It's not gonna work, that thing's got his full attention," I tell them as I jerk a thumb to Donnie's lab.

"Whatever," Raph huffs, "Watch when we DO get him to snap out of it and you'll be thanking us."

"Doubtful," I scoff as I walk past the lab and I hear a faint growl. I turn to the lab, but Leo's just sitting there like last time. Weird...could've sworn that came from the lab. Maybe it was just my imagination.

* * *

"Who wants pizza?" Mikey opens a pizza box with disgusting ingredients that definitely shouldn't be on a pizza. "Leo's favorite! Jellybean, anchovy, and jalapeno!"

"Isn't that your favorite?" Donnie whispers to him as he takes a slice.

"Just go with it," Mikey whispers back and I roll my eyes. Of course he'd use his own favorite...

They push open the doors and take a bite, exaggerating so that Leo would snap out of it, but he doesn't. He doesn't move an inch. "Leo~" Mikey calls out and he sags.

* * *

Next they try Space Heroes. I'm munching on popcorn and Raph puts an arm around me roughly, making me drop the bag. "Oh boy! That not-at-all-stupid Space Heroes show is on! And Amy's watching it too! You know, the girl you like so much and who you're dating right now?"

"Get off!" I hiss as I push him off of me. I'm not getting involved in their plans. I turn back to the TV.

"Gentlemen, I've finally found the woman I am going to marry," Captain Ryan announces to his crew. "Say hello to the future Mrs. Captain Ryan." On the outside, she looks attractive, but she's actually an alien that can cause people to fall into a hypnosis state with their camouflage.

"Dr. Mindstrong, Captain Ryan has fallen under the control of a deadly hypnoticon!" Crankshaw exclaims and Ryan leans towards the alien.

"How about some sugar, baby?" The alien starts to lick his face.

"Ugh. It's a good thing Leo and I don't roleplay this episode," I say to myself, placing a hand on my cheek. I forgot exactly how they got him back to normal, but I assume they took the race out.

"Oh, you're missing a great one, Leo!" Donnie calls out, but the turtle doesn't budge. The other turtles glance to each other.

* * *

I'm reading a comic book after the episode is over. "Hey Mikey, where you going with Leo's signed Space Heroes issue one that he keeps wrapped in plastic? The one that he gave to Amy as a gift?"

My eyes widen as I look up, rushing over to them. "Gimme that!" I jump towards Mikey, but Raph and Donnie hold me back. "What are you doing with it?!"

"This is one of our last resorts, Amy...please don't kill us," Donnie says and I raise an eyebrow.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, we're out of toilet paper, and I thought the pages from this rare and valuable comic book would do the job nicely," Mikey starts rubbing his butt with the book. "Oh yeah, that feels great." My mouth drops open in shock as my eyes are white. My knees fall to the ground as I look in horror. "Hope Leo doesn't see me."

"Wow, he's farther gone than I thought," Donnie whispers as Mikey throws the comic book down in front of me.

"Alright, that tears it. I'm destroying the egg tonight. Myself!" Raph declares and Donnie places a hand on his arm.

"Raph, wait. We still have one thing we haven't tried yet," Donnie tells him as I'm trying not to cry.

"Wh-What just happened...?" I murmur to myself and Donnie shakes me slightly.

"Amy, Amy."

"What?" I ask, still in shock.

"Can you talk to Leo tonight? It's the only option left...and then Raph can destroy the egg if it doesn't work," Donnie glances at his brother.

"What? No!" I deny, turning to them. "What makes you think that he'll even snap out of it by me?"

"You're dating him, he'll listen to ya," Raph points out.

"Okay..." I sigh nervously.

* * *

Donnie pushes me out of my room towards the lab, but I'm still unsure. Everything they tried previously didn't work, so I'm not confident that I would get him to stop watching the egg. After all, he called it our...lovechild. I'm still trying to wrap my head around that.

I slowly walk up the stairs, opening the doors as I still see Leo sitting there. I know that he wants to keep a close eye, but he hasn't moved from that spot ever since we got back. I step up to him nervously.

"Erm...Leo, we're all concerned about you, and to be honest...I agree with them. You're not you."

He says nothing and I bite my lip nervously. I can't just give up...he wouldn't give up on me if I was acting weird.

"Listen...just-just snap out of it, and we'll all talk about this." Still nothing, which is making me a little wary. "Leo, please. I wanna help you. Please talk to me."

He slowly stands up and turns to me. I gasp as his eyes are no longer blue. Instead, they're pure black, like...like evil. He grins as he looks me over.

"Quite a beauty...it's a shame that I'll have to make sure you don't escape."

I shiver as I back away, trying to grab the door handle behind me, but he grabs my arm, pulling me forward. "Let me have a look at you..." He strokes my cheek with his hand and I'm shaking. I-I'm scared now and he's just laughing at my expense. Who is he and what has he done with Leo?

"Hmm," He hums and leans closer to my ear. "Truly beautiful. Well, they do say that the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree."

I'm shaking as he leans back, cupping my chin to make me stare into those scary eyes. "Don't think so little of me, pet. You might end me making me mad if you cross me."

"W-What are you gonna do?" I ask in fear as I can't move. If I would, who knows what he might do? Or maybe it's because I'm in shock as it's Leo saying all these things. He would never say that...not like this.

"Well, what should I do?" He hums in thought, tapping his finger against my lips slowly. "Should I have you all for myself? Or should I punish you? Oh, right! They wouldn't look kindly upon it, would they?" Is he talking about the others? He just grins widely.

"But, you see...I don't pull any punches. Especially on a naughty girl who snuck up on me. Like you," His voice sounds more deep and it's making me wanna pee myself. He walks towards Donnie's desk and here I think that I could use this opportunity to escape, to inform the others. I slowly move towards the door, but a chair crashes against the door near me, causing me to let out a scream in terror. I stop in my tracks, whipping around to him.

"Leo! What's your problem?! Throwing Donnie's things, are you out of your mind? What's gotten into you?!" I demand out of fright, but he just grins like the Cheshire Cat like he did nothing wrong at all. What's happening to him...

"How does it feel?" He grabs me, leading me away from the door and blocking my way. "Are you scared? Scared I might ravage you like an animal? Isn't it terrifying not knowing what I might do?"

"S-Stop," I beg, as I'm about to cry.

"Tell me, how's it feel?" He steps closer. "Being my prey? You're thinking everything will be alright, aren't you? The moment you walk out of here, you can cry for help and everything will be fine, right?" He holds his sword in front of me and I shake visibly as he strokes the point of it against my cheek. "I'll bet you felt like this before. When you were trapped inside your own mind...no escape, no one to ask for help...wanting to even kill."

How does he know that? Tears are falling down my cheeks. I don't know what he'll do...he already broke a chair and started...touching me...

He moves the sword away, cupping my cheek again forcefully and pulling me against him with a strong, animal-like force. He's so close that his lips would touch mine, if he wasn't a psycho! "Trust me, I'm not a fan of taking an eye for an eye," He smirks as he sees my tears. "But you don't strike me as the kind of person to get the message if I don't take drastic measures."

"W-What message?" I stammer as I look away from him.

"I really do wish you get this message...but then again, if simple words could touch you, you wouldn't have had it in your heart to try to 'appeal' to me," He leans in towards my ear as I could feel his sick and vile breath. I know that it's Leo's body, but it's not his state of mind. Leo would never act this way...

"Let me ask you a question, because I'm denying to know...what would you get out of talking to me, hm? Besides being really pretty right now. Because it's no use trying to get me back." I don't answer that because that's none of his business. He pulls back and just smiles as I'm still shaking.

"Don't worry, I won't harm you," He snatches away my T-Phone. "But what should I do about you teasing me? Hmm?" He traces lines up my arm and I shiver. "Should I let that one slide as well? But then you'd have to admit you went too far with spying on me and the egg. I want you to reflect on it and think about what would've happened had you left things alone. Keep worrying about when I'll punish you."

I can't say anything. No matter what, he doesn't seem like the Leo I know. He won't even blink. It's like there's no appealing to him. Just who is he?

I shudder as I move past him, but he stands in front of me, causing me to shriek and fall on my back. "I guess you no longer need to worry, then," He grins widely and I quickly run to the doors, but he grabs my leg, pulling me back.

"L-Let go of me!" I kick him off, rushing to the door and pounding on it. "HELP! Someone he-" Something hits the back of my head and I fall onto the floor, my eyes slowly closing...

* * *

 **~Raph~**

I'm finally doing it. I'm tired of waiting around for ice princess to talk sense into him. I need to get this out of the way and stop all the craziness around here. I sneak out of my room and I see that one of the doors is still open. I narrow my eyes. Something isn't right...she'd never leave her door open.

"Ice princess?" I call out quietly as I head to the lab. I open the doors, and no one's around. "Ice princess, you here?" I step up to the egg, pulling out my sai. I raise it above me and go to strike, but a sword stops me, as Leo's holding it. "Leo, what are you doing?"

He lowers his sword as he reveals black eyes...not blue. He throws me onto the ground and I roll onto my feet. "If that thing hatches, it might try to eat us!"

He holds his sword in front of him and opens his mouth, revealing some weird green goo from them. My eyes widen, but I can't focus on that. I gotta kick his shell back to normal. "Alright, this freak show ends now." I yell as I run up to him with my sai, but he pushes me back. "Come on, bro. Snap out of it!"

He runs up to me and I pull out my other sai, attacking him. He swings his sword at me and I duck, jumping away from him. He leaps into the air, sword in hand, but I block that too, tilting my sai so that the sword flies out of his hand. I push him to the ground.

"You're not yourself, Leo! Let me help ya! Ice princess wouldn't wanna see ya this way!"

Instead, he turns around with those black eyes of his and I scream, backing away. I hit something behind me and something falls on top of me, making me scream again. I stand up and look at the floor to see Amy tied up, with bite marks all over her. She's breathing, but barely. She must've fell when I bumped into her. "W-Wha? WHAT'D YOU DO TO AMY?!" I shout at him, pulling down safely so she's lying on the ground. He lunges and I duck, fending him off as he tries to bite. I sweep my leg, knocking him off, but he clutches my leg, knocking me to the ground. I kick him away and he lunges at me. I roll and kick him away. There's this pain in my arm and I look down to see a bruise.

"Did you bite me?" I demand as I look over to him and he just grins as he stands in front of Amy. "You BIT me!"

* * *

 **~Regular~**

Mikey yawns, stretching his arms as Donnie steps out from the hall, yawning also. Donnie looks around as Amy and Raph are nowhere to be seen. "Um, where are Raph and Amy?"

"He said he was going for the egg last night in case the dudette couldn't get through to Leo," Mikey answers and they peek into the lab. Leo and now Raph are standing in front of the egg.

"Oh boy," Donnie murmurs and looks past them to see Amy, gasping. She has some similar bruises to Raph, on her neck, arms, and legs as far as he could see. But there could be more. She's alive, but she looks weak.

"Look," Donnie points to the girl and Mikey gasps.

"What did they do to her?!" Mikey whimpers.

"I don't think Raph had any part of it. Amy visited him first," Donnie points out. Leo and Raph slowly pull out their weapons, causing their eyes to widen. "Uh, Raph? Uh, what you up to there, bro?"

"Something's definitely wrong," Mikey whispers to him, Donnie looking at Raph. "He's gone all Leo-who's-not-Leo on us." Then Donnie sees the bite marks, as they're the same shape on Amy's body.

"Look at his arm, and look at Amy. They got bit. Leo must've bit 'em!" They back away slightly as the two turtles turn their attention to their little brothers.

"Then how come it's not affecting Amy?" Mikey wonders, "She's not showing any signs."

"Leo must've tried every spot so that he could infect her, but she must be immune," Donnie whispers back.

"Bros, snap out of it, dudes," Mikey warns, Raph's eyes having the same color of black as Leo's eyes. They both attack, Donnie and Mikey jumping out of the way. They pull at the entrance.

"Get the doors, get the doors!" Donnie exclaims as they pull the doors closed just in time. Mikey chains it shut with one of his nunchucks. "That oughta hold 'em." The turtles pound against the door and then Donnie realizes something. "Mikey, the garage door!"

"On it!" Mikey flips to the turnstiles and jumps over them, sliding to a stop. He runs over to the garage door, which is still open. He can see Leo and Raph trying to get outside. For now, they're distracted as Amy still hasn't woken up. Mikey jumps up to the garage door, but fails to close it. "Oh no. Not now! Come on!" He tries to pull at it, which the turtles can hear. They turn to him and he sees the goo coming from their mouths. Mikey whimpers in fear as they run up to him. He tries to pull as hard as he can, Raph reaching out a hand. He manages to pull it closed for Raph to crash into it. He rubs his forehead in relief before they pound against it, Mikey screaming in fear.

* * *

Donnie's doing some research on the wasps, Mikey leaning over his shoulder. "Here it is. The Parasitic Wasp infects animals with a virus that brainwashes them into protecting its eggs. Well, that explains why Amy is immune. She's not just an animal, she's also a mammal." Basically, since she's both, it wouldn't affect her.

"You think that's the kind of wasp that stung Leo?" Mikey asks and he hears the two turtles shouting, leaning closer to Donnie.

"A mutant version," Donnie elaborates, "Then Leo bit Raph and passed the virus to him since he already tried Amy...poor girl," He remembers her bruises, frowning to himself.

"So once the egg hatches, will the guys go back to normal?" Mikey wonders.

"Not quite. Look what happens to the caterpillar guarding the egg," Donnie scrolls down and Mikey looks in shock.

"It's eating him! It's eating him!" He screams as he realizes his brothers' fate. "What are we gonna do?"

"...Well, I might be able to create some kind of antibody, but first I need a sample of the virus from the egg," Donnie explains, as he needs part of the source. It'd be impossible to do without it or something else related to the virus. The door pounds and the two scream, hugging each other in fear. Something crashes and suddenly, Leo and Raph step into the kitchen, having broken free. "Oh no!"

"No no!" Mikey shouts as they try to attack. "Stay away! Stay away!" Something is thrown out of the kitchen, Mikey and Donnie running off. "Run away!"

Leo and Raph immediately go after them, Donnie turning around as he's tackled by Leo. Leo snaps his teeth at him. "We have to get to the egg. It could be the only cure!" He can see the goo from Leo's teeth. Raph punches Mikey, and he jumps away from Raph's arm. Raph chases after him and grabs him by the shell, throwing him onto the ground. He jumps towards the youngest turtle and he holds out his nunchuck, Raph chomping on it. He kicks Raph into the pool. Mikey turns to Donnie, who's wrestling with Leo. He runs over to help.

Leo pulls Donnie back, looming over him until Mikey captures him with his chain. Donnie runs up to Mikey, who has Leo pinned. Mikey looks up to find their other brother, but he's nowhere to be found. "Raph? Where'd he go?"

Donnie checks the lab to see if he's there, but only finds Amy. "Holy mackerel! He took the egg. He's out there somewhere, waiting."

"You mean, he could be there?" He looks to the punching dummy. "Or there?" He looks at the Space Heroes machine. "Or there?! Or even-" Donnie slaps his cheek. "Ow!"

"Calm down, man," Donnie assures him. "We'll barricade ourselves in my lab."

"So what about Leo?" Mikey looks down at the tied-up turtle, who growls. They grab him and try to pull him inside the lab. "He's a lot heavier than he looks!"

Eventually, they get him inside, and Donnie bolts the door shut. "Donatello? Michelangelo?" They freeze at the voice and Leo looks up. "What happened?"

"Mm?" They turn to Amy, who's waking up.

 **~Amy~**

What happened? Why do I feel pain all over? I look up at Donnie and Mikey. Raph's gone for some reason. "Dudette!" Mikey hugs me before I look down at my bonds. "Oh right," Mikey sets me free and I stand near them, turning to Leo. My eyes widen as I gasp, backing away in fear.

"Leo," Mikey steps up to him. "You went crazy, dude," Mikey shakes his head, rolling his fingers. "So did Raph. You attacked Amy and Raph ran off with the egg."

"Wait, he got infected too?" I ask in surprise, turning to Donnie, who nods. Leo sighs, his eyes turning back to normal, but I still don't trust it.

"Don't worry, I'm better now. You can untie me, Mikey. Untie me so we can go find Raph together and I can apologize to my hana," He grins at me and I clutch Donnie's arm, shaking. "Ames? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Mikey reaches out to do it, but Donnie and I stop him. "No! Don't do it, Mikey."

"Look at those eyes..." I whisper in fear as his eyes have turned back to black. He struggles to get free and lunges towards us, but we jump out of the way before he could bite us. I glance at my arm, looking it over to see the bite marks. Did he do this to me when I was unconscious?

"It is useless to resist. It is only a matter of time before the egg bursts and the hatchling will feed on us all!" I slap him across the face, causing him to fall down.

"I'm sorry," I smile sheepishly.

"Sorry to burst your possessed bubble, Leo," Donnie steps up to him. "We may not have the egg, but a sample of your blood should help me create a cure," Donnie injects Leo's arm with a needle. Mikey gasps, pointing at Donnie's neck.

"Bite! You've been bitten! You've been bitten!"

"Huh?" Donnie glances to see a bite mark on his neck. "I must've been bitten during the fight. Now...I'm infected too."

Mikey shudders and I frown. "Oh no..."

* * *

Donnie tries to finish off the cure as fast as he can, mixing in liquids and spinning in from the beaker. He pours some onto a petri dish. "I'm not gonna make it. I'm not gonna make it."

"Don't stress, dude, you're almost done," Mikey reminds him as Donnie puts a test tube into a tiny beaker.

"Mikey, Amy, you gotta help me. If I turn, you two are gonna have to knock me out so you can finish the antibody yourselves."

"What if I fall unconscious or something?" I ask in worry, as Mikey doesn't pay attention all the time.

"Then he's gonna have to do it."

"But Donnie-"

"Just promise me!" Donnie pleads, staring at us. "It's up to you."

"Okay, okay. So what do we do?" Mikey joins him. "I'm not exactly the most science-y type of guy, in case you didn't know."

"We get it," I deadpan.

"First, the hybirdoma culture has to incubate for ten minutes," Donnie points to the incubator. "And then it has to spin in the centrifuge for another five," Donnie opens the centrifuge, holding his head. "Ah! There's not enough time! I'm not-I'm not feeling so well," He holds his head, trying to fight it. Mikey glances at me and I nod. We both step up to Donnie, Mikey about to use his nunchuck. Donnie catches it before Mikey could hit him and he bites Mikey in the arm. I scream and Donnie punches me in the face, knocking me out.

 **~Regular~**

"Oh no! Ah!" Mikey looks at his bite mark. "I'm doomed! How am I gonna do this? Gotta remember what Donnie said. Gotta remember-" He starts feeling groggy. "Ah, feel...kinda..." With a groan, he falls unconscious, succumbing to the egg...

* * *

Raph holds the egg as he has returned, turning to his brethren as they walk inside the living room. "What about Michelangelo and Amelia?"

"They are no longer threats to the egg," Donnie reports, Raph jumping into the middle and placing the egg there to hatch. Donnie and Leo step up to the egg, surrounding it. A pair of feet steps out from the lab, and they turn to Mikey.

"Michelangelo, you have come to join us," Leo says as Mikey has drool coming from his mouth.

"Yes, I finally understand what is so awesome about this egg."

The egg starts making sounds, and Raph notices it. "Here it comes." Leo and Donnie turn their attention to the egg, dropping their weapons in the process.

"It is glorious," Leo declares as they hold out their arms to embrace what is to come. Instead, they're all injected in the neck.

"What have you done?" Raph turns to Mikey, who's holding what was the rest of the antidote that he just put into them.

"Pulled your bacon out of the frying pan, bro!" He exclaims, pointing to them.

"Donatello, you said Michelangelo was safe. You said you turned him," Raph looks to Donnie.

"I did," Donnie argues back, as he distinctly remembers biting Mikey.

"Did you, Donnie? Did you, really?" Mikey crosses his arms as he raises an eyebrow. "...You did, but...after you bit me, I was totally wiggin'. I almost passed out, like, 19 times, bro. But I stayed with it long enough, hurtin' my brain to remember everything you said."

 **~Amy~**

I step out from behind the lab, winking as I put an arm around Mikey. "With my help, of course." After I helped Mikey snap out of it a couple of times, he managed to finish it and infect himself with the antibody

"You finished the antibody yourself?" Donnie asks in disbelief. The turtles' eyes are back to normal and thankfully we don't have to deal with that scary version of themselves...

"And you were just pretending to be one of us?" Leo questions.

"Yup!" Mikey jumps, landing in front of them.

"But that's...smart," Raph says slowly.

"Hey!" I protest.

"Yup, it is," Sparkles appear around Mikey. "Just call me Dr. Einstein-enstein." Suddenly, the three turtles begin to feel drowsy.

"Oh, we forgot to mention it may cause drowsiness." Mikey felt equally as tired. The three fall onto the ground and the egg hatches right at that moment. We look in horror as not one, but THREE wasps hatch from the egg! "What? Three wasps?!"

"Unfair!" I yell. What sucks is that since the first one died by losing its stinger, that means we can't do the same thing obviously or else it'd just spread.

"Guys!" Mikey grabs Donnie by the shell and shakes him. "Get up, get up!" He shakes Raph's arm. I loom over Leo and slap him repeatedly.

"Wake up!" They're too out of it, unfortunately. The wasps start flying over to the three turtles, as they plan to eat them!

"No!" Mikey smacks one away with his skateboard. "Bad wasps! Get away from them!" He fends the wasps off his brothers and I try to wake them up again. The wasps fly over Mikey and he gasps.

"Mikey, get them away from the others! Try to distract them!" I call out as I'm shaking Donnie by the plastron. Mikey screams as he jumps over the turnstiles, hiding in the Shellraiser. I take a deep breath and slap Raph hard.

"OW!" He wakes up, rubbing his cheek as he glares at me. I pay no attention as I make an icicle appear underneath Donnie, causing him to fly into the air and crash on the ground.

"Ow." He sits up and I look down at Leo.

"Why don't ya give him mouth to mouth? That'll wake him up," Raph smirks and I stiffen.

"N-No."

Raph shrugs and slaps Leo. "Ouch!"

"Hurry up, we have to help Mikey!"

"Hey, wasps!" Raph calls out as we approach the Shellraiser. "Come and get it!" They fly over to us and we fend them off as best as we can, but they're way too strong and fast. Leo and Raph are shell-to-shell, Donnie and I joining them.

"Looks like we're gonna be wasp food after all," Leo says in worry as they surround us. Suddenly, one of them explodes, with the goo landing on Donnie. We turn to the Shellraiser as the garbage cannon goes off twice, destroying the wasps and their goo landing on us. Our eyes are white in disgust. Mikey opens the door, jumping out of it.

"Saved your lives again, dudes! I am on a roll today!" He jerks a thumb to himself, grinning.

* * *

Later, after the four of us have taken a LONG bath, we clean up the mess of what the wasps left behind. Donnie's fixing up the Shellraiser because the wasps attacked it from the outside. "I can't believe Mikey actually came through," Raph says in disbelief.

"I can't believe he fired the Shellraiser cannon in the lair," Leo points to the floor.

"I told you you should let me shoot it more often," Mikey swallows a pizza slice in whole, burping.

"Gross," I roll my eyes.

"Pizza me," He holds out a hand to Donnie, as the pizza box is closer to him.

"No, I'm not gonna pizza you," Donnie denies, turning back to his work.

"I guess you're right. It's not like I did something incredibly brave and saved your life," Mikey reminds him.

"You did save our lives," Leo glares at him. "But you also used the comic book I gave to Ames as toilet paper," Leo puts a hand to the Shellraiser, staring down at Mikey. Mikey glances at his arm.

"Yeah," He moves away from Leo. "But I only did it so you'd chase me."

"Well, it worked!"

"Wait!" Mikey protests as Leo chases after him.

"MIKEY!" Leo tackles as Donnie turns back to his work. Leo holds Mikey's leg, looking enraged.

"I'm a hero!"

Raph and I are smiling as I lean my forearms on the mop. Revenge is sweet...and I didn't even have to move a muscle.

* * *

I'm laying down on my bed, my hair splayed across my pillow as I look up at the ceiling. Leo was so...scary when he was possessed. I shiver at all those chilling words he said...touching me...biting me while I was unconscious so he could try to infect me like he did with Raph. It's a good thing I'm immune, who knows what would've happened if I lost my mind like the turtles did?

I hear a knock at my door and I sit up. "Come in." The door opens and Leo steps inside slowly. I stiffen as he looks sad. "H-Hi Leo."

"Ames...is it true?"

"Huh?" I ask in confusion.

"Did I...say all those things? And...bite you?" He looks at my arm, which is fully healed. I can't lie to him...but I don't wanna tell him the truth, either. What else could I do, though? He deserves to know.

"...Yeah...yeah, you did."

Leo says nothing as he sighs slowly, sitting next to him. "You...were really scared, huh?"

"Yeah, but...it wasn't you. It's just...it was like you were someone else," I shiver at the thought before holding his hand. "Deep down, I know that you didn't wanna hurt me..." I'm trying not to cry as I remember how scary he sounded...it literally made a chill go up my spine.

"I can't tell you how sorry I am, Ames. Really," He looks at my eyes as he cups my cheek, brushing away my unshed tears with his thumb. "If I had a hold of myself, I wouldn't have tried to infect you with all those bites or...said those awful things." I close my eyes at his touch. "My hana...my Ames...my kunoichi." I suddenly feel him smothering my face in kisses, making me giggle.

"Leo!" I laugh as he continues. "Stop it, I already forgave you!"

"Well, I was right about one thing while I was possessed."

"...What's that?" I ask curiously.

"You are beautiful."

I chuckle as I feel my face getting hot at the compliment and he kisses my lips.


	24. Operation: Break Out

**Angel: I would sing the Friday song if it wasn't so cheesy XD Anyway, hi everyone! Only a few more days until the new year! I probably won't be doing anything since my family is working and we can't visit our family...but, it can't be helped, I guess. And, also, if you have some ideas for a one-shot, hit me up because I'm gonna do a one-shot story! Not right away, though. It'll come out in January since Rise of TMNT is on hiatus right now and I'm only working on two stories as we speak. I need something new to work on after that story I talked about will only be 19 chapters :/**

 **Anyway, I can't say the rules for that story on here, so you'll just have to wait until I release that ^^' Bye bye!**

Splinter is staring at Raph and Donnie, who are sparring together. They circle each other as Leo, Mikey, April, and I watch them. Leo places his hand on top of mine, rubbing against it with his thumb. We both smile at each other before turning back to the sparring match. "Don't worry, Donnie," Raph grins at his brother. "I'm in a good mood today. I'll go easy on you."

"Since when was Raph ever in a good mood?" I ask in confusion, Leo chuckling.

"Don't do me any favors, Raph," Donnie glances at April, who smiles at him. "Uh, in fact, maybe...you'll be the one...who gets gone easy on. By me. So, yeah." He spins his staff and I facepalm at this.

"Worst smack talk ever," Mikey whispers to us, Leo and I trying not to laugh. I get that he wants to impress April, but he needs to know that sentence will never impress anyone, much less April.

"Haijime!" Splinter calls out and Raph spins his sai, rushing towards Donnie. He ducks from Donnie's swing and they both clash weapons together twice. Donnie pokes him from behind, hits his knees, spins his staff, and knocks Raph off his feet.

"Hey, I got him!" He turns to April with a wide smile. "April, did ya see?"

April only smiles at him. Raph spins around, sweep kicking Donnie off his feet. He grabs Donnie's arm with one of his sai, twists it, and brings Donnie so that he's standing in front of Donnie. Raph holds up his left arm with the other sai as I can see the drool coming from Donnie's mouth. "Say hi to Mikey. 'Hi Mikey,' " He makes the hand wave and April frowns.

"Donnie, ha ha! Amazing! I didn't even see his lips move. He's like a puppet who throws his voice...to himself. Wait."

I roll my eyes as Leo looks annoyed.

"Ya me! Raphael, that is enough," Splinter orders and Raph throws Donnie onto the ground. He then sits on the turtle, knocking the wind out of him.

"Thanks for going easy on me," He pats Donnie's plastron and sits up, Donnie groaning as his eyes are white. Aw, poor guy...he just wanted to impress a girl.

* * *

After training was over, April, Mikey, and Leo are walking to the living room area. Leo's holding my hand as we were gonna read a Space Heroes comic together. Donnie and Raph stay behind. Donnie says something, but I'm too far away to hear it. He probably wants to talk to Raph about how he pretty much embarrassed him in front of April.

Speaking of April, some scrambled electronic sounds are coming from her laptop. "Not bad!" Mikey calls out as we turn to her. "Needs more drums!"

The sound ends with a pop, Raph and Donnie joining us. "What was that?" Leo asks in confusion.

"I don't know. Some random email I got. It just started playing by itself," April explains, shrugging.

"Sounds like some kind of telemetric sine wave sub carrier," Donnie says in thought.

"Uh, dumb that down a notch?" Leo asks, and I laugh at his tone.

"Sorry Donnie, but speak English," I tell him.

"It's an interference modulation used to encrypt covert transmi-" Mikey presses a finger to his mouth.

"Not enough notches," Mikey shakes his head. Donnie pushes his hand away.

"A secret message!" Donnie answers simply.

"Who would be sending me a secret message?" April questions curiously, looking back to her email.

* * *

Later on, after a movie, all of us are asleep. I can feel an arm around me as I'm laying down on my side. I hum quietly, opening my eyes as Leo has his arms wrapped around my waist, hugging me in his sleep. I giggle and turn around to him, looking at his face. He looks so adorable when he sleeps. I reach out and touch his face slowly. He makes no movement, but he's smiling in his sleep. I start to play with his mask tails in my fingers. I've never had a chance to truly touch them. They're soft, like silk.

"Mmm, Ames~" He murmurs lovingly and I blush hotly. Is he dreaming about me? Or can he sense that I'm touching him without permission?

He hums, pressing his face into my neck, making my heart beat at how close he is right now. "Hmm, you're so beautiful." He hugs me closer and I laugh. Yup, he's definitely dreaming.

Then I heard a thud, making me look up. I could've sworn that I heard something, but I must've just imagined it. Nevertheless, I drift back off to sleep.

I don't know how long I was asleep for until someone's shaking me. "Ames. Ames, wake up."

"Hmm?" I open my eyes to see Leo smiling as he's brushing my bangs away from my face. He still has one arm wrapped around me.

"Hello Sleeping Beauty," He grins, kissing my nose.

"I look nothing like her," I roll my eyes playfully.

"You're still a beauty to me," He pecks my lips and winks, sitting up with a yawn. I stand up as we both stretch. Leo turns to Raph sleeping on the bean bag and Mikey sleeping on the couch with a popcorn bag over his head, but no Donnie. "Anyone seen Donnie?"

Raph rubs his eyes as he wakes up. Mikey sits up. "Not since yesterday," He moves the bag off his face. "Wait, do dreams count? Cause last night, I dreamt Donnie and me were rodeo detectives, and there w-"

"Can it, Mikey," Leo interrupts him, "I'm serious."

"Okay, but you'll never find out who stole the buckaroo diamond!" Mikey exclaims in excitement.

"You through?" Raph asks as he scratches Spike underneath his chin.

"Yeah..." Mikey looks away before smiling widely. "It was the clown!"

I sigh slowly, placing a hand on my head.

"Donnie?" Leo turns around towards the lab. We step inside, but he's not there either. Mikey walks past April's laptop, opening it.

"Guys, I think I know where Donnie went."

"Where?" Leo asks as we gather around him.

"Oh, there," Raph says sarcastically.

"That's the secret message. Obviously, he followed it," Leo replies in realization.

"After he figured out what it was," Raph adds in.

"But if he did go off to follow it, why didn't he say anything?" I ask them and they glance at each other, shrugging.

"What would Donnie do? What would Donnie do?" Mikey wonders and Raph snatches the laptop.

"Gimme that thing!" He shakes it, already growing pissed. Leo places a hand on his shoulder.

"Or what would Donnie do if he was doing an impression of Raph?" Leo asks and Raph crosses his arms, a vein on his forehead. Leo hands the laptop to me and I press play.

"April, it's Dad," Our eyes widen as that's Mr. O'Neil's voice. "I pray that you get this message. I've been moved to a secret Kraang facility."

"Dad?" We turn to April, who just happened to walk in. Her face turns into worry.

* * *

 **~Regular~**

Donatello runs across the rooftops, glancing at his T-Phone. He knew that the others were probably already wondering where he was, but it didn't matter. All that matters is that when he rescues April's father, she'll finally be impressed and Raph would be wrong. Two birds in one stone.

Leo got to date a human, so why should he be any different when it comes to April? It's only fair, after all. Not that he's not happy for his brother and friend—sister—but it hurt a little to see them together. He wanted that happiness too...

He lands on top of a water tower, taking a look at his phone. It's the place, alright, but it looks like nothing the Kraang would actually use. "Huh. Doesn't seem very Kraang-y." Despite his disbelief, he goes off anyway, landing at the fire escape. He slides down the ladder, sneaking past a shop. He rolls to the entrance and sees a padlock at the garage door. He picks it easily and opens the door, holding his staff in case someone was inside. Shutting the door behind him, he takes a look around at the garage before he hears something hitting the floor.

Seeing nothing, he explores further, not noticing a pair of pink eyes watching him from the shadows. A Kraang reveals itself. "It is one of the ones called the turtles."

Donnie turns around as the Kraang starts firing at him, but he knocks the gun away, smacks it across the face, and knocks it off its feet. He backs away to a button and presses it, causing a car to fall on top of the Kraang. "Looks like you could use a tune-up. Huh? Huh? Yeah. Right? Am I right?" He spins his staff, hand on his hip. "Who's the hero now?"

More pink lasers are shot at him. "Ho-ly cow!" he shouts at each one, shrinking his head in his shell. He looks to see three more Kraang firing at him. "No response necessary," He says quickly, dodging past the lethal lasers.

* * *

 **~Amy~**

After we listened to the message, we headed out. It's daytime as we dash across the buildings. "Why would Donnie try to rescue April's dad and your mother by himself?" Leo wonders and the other two turtles come to a stop.

"I have no idea. I didn't tell him that he should go off and do it," I frown in worry for him. I just hope that my mother is alright...and that things can go back to normal once we save her. Well, not totally back to normal.

"Uh, maybe because I told him he has no shot with April?" Raph asks nervously and I come to a stop mid-walk. You can literally hear the screech as I whip around to Raph.

"What?! Why would you say that?" Leo demands in disbelief.

"You don't just do that, Raph," I shake my head.

"But he has no shot with April," Raph says simply.

"Well, yeah, but you don't tell him that," Leo replies and I place my hands on my hips, giving him a look. He sweats nervously as he remembers that I'm in earshot. "Uhh, n-not that I disapprove of humans dating us," He rubs his neck sheepishly. "What I mean was-uh-that-"

"I get it, guys," I roll my eyes. "Clearly you think that I'm so uptight that I wouldn't date a mutant," I smile at him, walking away.

"No wait, that's not what we meant—Ames, wait!"

"The heart's a soft muscle, man." Mikey places a hand on Raph's shoulder. "A soft muscle. Squish," Mikey clenches a fist as Leo's running next to me, trying to explain himself.

"Really, Ames, I don't think it's a bad thing for humans to date us. I-I just think that we're not compatible."

"Oh, so first I'm so uptight that I wouldn't date you, and now we're not compatible?" I give him a look. "Leo, how could you say that about us? I do have standards, you know."

"WAIT NO, I DIDN'T MEAN US, I MEANT-!"

Raph covers his mouth, shaking his head. "Sort this out later, lovebirds."

"Or never," I roll my eyes as I take the lead, Leo groaning.

* * *

 **~Regular~**

The Kraang continue their attack on Donnie, who's hiding behind a car. He looks behind him and sees a taxi parked a few feet away. He gasps, ducking his head from more blasts. He leaps and kicks a Kraang down, jumping past the lasers. He knocks down another Kraang and slides over a car, landing at the trunk. He peeks out and the lone Kraang immediately starts firing at him. One of the lasers hits the button near Donnie and it shorts out, causing the car and Donnie to fall down below...

Meanwhile, April is standing in the middle of the dojo, Splinter circling her. "April, today I will train your mind. Close your eyes."

She does as instructed. "Listen to the silence." She can't focus as she opens her eyes, glancing at the sunshine from the grate above. "I know what you are thinking, April, but it is best for you to remain here."

"Sensei, that message was from my father," She tells him, panicked. At that moment, she didn't care that the Kraang were after her, she just wanted to see him again. All those months away from him... "I should be up there!"

"The best way to be reunited with your father is to wait here. Now, again, close your eyes and listen for my movement. Listen for the silence."

She eventually closes her eyes again and sighs, not understanding. "How can I listen for the..." She opens her eyes to see that Splinter is gone. "Silence?"

"You weren't listening." She turns around to see Splinter standing right behind her. "Listen deeply. Again."

She sighs slowly and decides to actually put in some effort. "Okay. Listen deeply." She hears a whirring noise and some distorted sounds. "Well, I heard you that time."

"Heard what?" She opens her eyes as Splinter is still standing behind her. "I did not move."

"Then...what's that sound?" She glances around. "You hear that, right? It-It's coming from...it's coming from down there," She points to the dojo exit. "Let's follow it," She walks away and Splinter walks after it, but unlike her, he doesn't hear a thing.

"I hear nothing," He says in confusion.

"Really?" She wonders, turning to the lair entrance. He strokes his beard in thought.

"Most curious, April, that you are hearing something..." Glancing up, April is already gone. "I cannot. Well done. April? April?!" He looks around in confusion, wondering as to where she could've gone.

April is walking through the sewers, standing near the tunnel entrances. She closes her eyes and listens for the noises, like Splinter was trying to teach her.

* * *

Two Kraang are walking through the hall and Donnie lands from above, running past the unsuspecting aliens. He rolls to a pillar and catches a single Kraang walking out from a door. He slides his T-Phone to the alien as it rings. The Kraang picks up the phone to see Donnie's face before the real Donnie smacks him to the door. It drops the phone and Donnie picks it up. "It's for me."

The alien brain wakes up and Donnie knocks him out of his exo suit, making it crash against the wall. "And that's for you." He presses the eyes from the suit into the eye scanner, opening the door and walking into the security room. Most of the cells are empty except for two. "Mr. O'Neil and Ms. Smith!"

He looks down at the controls and eventually gets all the doors open. What he didn't know is that he unleashed a rogue alien...

 **~Amy~**

I look down at my phone as we've arrived at an auto body shop. "You sure this is the right place?" Raph asks and I nod.

"I'm sure of it. Map doesn't lie."

Leo sees the picked lock on the ground. "Either Donnie's here, or the garage mechanic stole his lock pick."

"So the mechanic could break into his own place?" Mikey questions with a scoff. "Come on, Leo, think this stuff through, dude. Let's move."

He cringes as Leo stands up, glaring at him. Mikey chuckles nervously. "Uh, you knew that." Leo just nods with a grunt. "Alright. You say it."

"Let's move," Leo opens the door and lets me through first.

"Yeah!" Mikey cheers, Raph hitting him on the head. "Punk." I try not to laugh at Mikey.

"Ames, I really didn't mean what I said. I do think that we, uh, are compatible as, uh-"

"Leo," I place a hand on his shoulder to save him the embarrassment, "Calm down, okay? I'm over it."

"Are you really?" He frowns in worry and I nod, smiling.

"Yeah. It was really fun watching you squirm," I wink at him and he huffs with a playful smile. His eyes widen and I smirk as I walk past him.

"Wait, were you just messing with me?!"

 **~Regular~**

Donnie walks through the hall as he has his staff ready. He hears something behind and whips around, but sees nothing out of the ordinary. He walks up to the doors beside him, opening one of them to see Mr. O'Neil still sitting there.

"Hello? Mr. O'Neil?"

The man looks up and Donnie smiles at him. "It's me, Donatello?"

"The turtle which is the one who has gained entry has found the captive," The Kraang are watching him, but instead of sending Kraang to stop him, they do nothing.

"Exactly as Kraang planned the plan."

"Yes, the plan is going according to plan."

Donnie helps the man up. "Thank goodness you've come!" He hugs Donnie, which is weird to him. He's never hugged the turtle before...

"Right. Um, shall we free Ms. Smith?" Donnie gestures to the door opposite to them.

"Immediately," He leaves first and Donnie follows after them. He sensed that something was wrong, but Mr. O'Neil looked normal to him...he follows after the man, who opens the door to Ms. Smith's cell. She looks up and sees them, eyes widening.

"Donatello? Mr. O'Neil?" She asks in confusion as she steps out of the cell. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to rescue you both," Donnie grins at her and she smiles gratefully.

They start walking down the hall. "I thought that you might be able to decipher our message," Mr. O'Neil speaks.

"Well, it wasn't so bad. You used a basic DVB scramble algorithm, so I just-"

"Flopped the ECM data stream," The two smile at each other, Nadia shaking her head with a smile. Something moves past them not too far away, getting their attention. The two adults then notice all the open doors.

"Donatello, why are all the other cells open?"

"I must've opened them when I let you both out, but they were all empty," Donnie explains, the alien moving behind them.

"I don't think that was the case," Nadia cringes and it moves again, but quicker. They hear it roaring and Donnie stands in front of the adults.

"Okay, don't worry, whatever this is, I'm sure I can handle-" The being lands behind them, startling them all. It stands up to reveal a heavily armored, alien fire belly newt. He is primarily black, with an orange underbelly. The coloration of his underbelly forms a skull pattern. He is very muscular and bulky. His armor set includes a belt, a pair of shoulder plates (the right plate is far larger than the left), two straps that connect the belt and shoulder plates, a pair of armored bracelets, a pair of leg holsters with pouches and ammo types attached to them, and a pair of axe blades attached to his tail. He also wears a backpack with an antenna sticking out. He also carries three Kraang tentacles as trophies tied to his belt.

"On second thought, ma'am and sir, you might want to worry just a little," Donnie replies as they back away slowly. He immediately starts firing at them and they duck behind a pillar. "What is that thing?"

"You must've accidentally released one of the Kraang's alien experiments," Mr. O'Neil assumes as Donnie looks back. He almost gets his head shot clean off, ducking just in time. They continue to run.

"Well it looks like some family of salamandridae, I'm not mistaken," Donnie adds in.

"With that proboscis?" Nadia asks as she's running between them.

"It's clearly a pleurodelinae, a newt." A disc flies past them and they come to a stop as it hits the wall. They turn to the alien, who presses a button and the disc explodes. Donnie pushes the two parents out of the way.

"Newtralizer is more like it!" Donnie comments and when he leads them away, he leans in. "By the way, prefer if you don't tell Mikey I named something without him. He's kinda protective about that."

* * *

 **~Amy~**

Leo, Mikey, Raph, and I walk through the garage where we see a car on top of a defeated Kraang. "Pretty sure Donnie took this guy out," Raph comments.

"How can you tell?" Leo asks him.

"He looks bored to death." Leo and Raph grin at each other knowingly and I roll my eyes at them.

"Hey guys." We turn to Mikey who's sitting in a car. "Check out my ride." He hollers as he turns on the headlights, causing us to cover our eyes. He revs it up and jumps the car straight towards us. Leo pushes me out of the way as Raph jumps to his right. The car crashes, hitting a button.

"You okay?" Leo questions as he's looking at me, cupping my cheek. I nod slowly, smiling.

"Thank you, Leo..."

"Heh heh..." A blush comes to his face, looking away. "I-It was nothing, Ames." He rubs his neck and I chuckle at how adorable he looks when he blushes. I peck his nose and stand up, looking over to where the car disappeared.

"Nice Mikey," Leo grins as it's a pathway.

"Oh yeah," Mikey's about to say something else.

"Do not say I meant to do that," Raph interrupts, crossing his arms. Mikey looks sheepish.

"Let's move!" Leo declares and the three of us jump down, followed by Mikey. We slide down using the ropes, landing on top of the car and flipping to the floor. Mikey turns around as he was facing the car, smiling sheepishly. Raph points to his eyes and then at Mikey.

We sneak around the corner to see a defeated Kraang, running up to the alien-less body. "He must've gone through this door," Raph pulls at it to get it open, but he can't. His head grows bigger as he raises a sai, but Leo grips his arm.

"Again, what would Donnie have done?"

Mikey thinks to himself as Raph's head is steaming. He sees the Kraang body and snaps his fingers. "I got it."

They start using the body to try and ram the door. Rolling my eyes, I sigh with my arms crossed. I'm not even going to bother telling them that Donnie wouldn't even try to ram the door. He'd take the technical route. An alarm goes off, but I don't think it was their fault.

"Boy, Donnie's idea was terrible!" Mikey exclaims and I shake my head.

"Unlikely. Something else caused that alarm to go off. Even if it was what Donnie did, that thing would've been going off a while ago."

"So what do you think happened?" Leo turns to me and I shake my head.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, I don't like it."

Soon, four Kraang appear from the other side of the hall, holding their laser guns. "We got company!" We pull out our weapons to deal with them, running towards the group.

 **~Regular~**

Donnie, Ms. Smith, and Mr. O'Neil run, turning a corner and coming to a stop as a few Kraang are in front of them. "Other way!" Donnie tells them. When they turn around, they're met with Newtralizer. Donnie gasps as he steps up to them, roaring. "Okaaaay...maybe the solo mission wasn't such a good idea."

"You think?" Nadia turns to him and the two immediately ready their weapons.

"Come on!" Donnie pulls the two into a cell as the Kraang and Newtralizer fire at each other. Donnie slams the door shut, sighing in relief.

"You are aware this is a detention facility," Mr. O'Neil points out, to Donnie's confusion. "You just locked us in a cell."

"Affirmative. Um, I think I can get us out." Newtralizer licks at the door, making him scream. "Eventually!"

* * *

A Kraang is strolling through the sewers, met by another Kraang. They walk off together and April lands from above, having hid from them. She takes a look at her surroundings before she closes her eyes. "Listen to the silence." There it was again. "Listen deeply." She guides herself to a tunnel from the right. "That way!"

She runs down the tunnel, coming to a stop as she heard it again. She appears in a sewer drain, looking around as whatever she's looking for is definitely here. She leaps down and runs towards the garbage, sweeping it out of the way to find a large silver orb. April picks it up curiously, wondering what exactly what it was and why it was down here of all places.

"The Kraang communication device Kraang searches for is activated in this vicinty." April turns to see two Kraang approaching, but she hides just in time.

"Kraang is that which they call idiotic."

April sighs in relief.

* * *

 **~Amy~**

The three turtles and I are standing in the now-defeated Kraang. Leo examines a door that's open until we hear someone moving. "I don't like the sound of that," Leo frowns deeply.

"Maybe if we ignore it, it'll go away," Mikey states, but we can still hear it. "Someone's not ignoring it. Amy, fry your brain."

"That's not the issue here, Mikey," I glare at him and a giant newt appears from above, firing projectiles at us.

"Move!" Raph yells at us and we do so, only for them to hit a door. We look up to see Donnie, Mr. O'Neil, and...

"Mom...?" I murmur in shock that she's here. She smiles softly, holding out her arms. "MOM!" I shout happily, hugging her tightly. She pats my hair.

"Donnie!" Raph exclaims at seeing his brother.

"Mr. O'Neil," Leo says in surprise.

"Big beady-eyed, lizardy thing with weapons!" Mikey points forward and we see the newt roaring at us.

"Donatello calls it the Newtralizer," Mr. O'Neil states and I wince slowly.

"Ohhhhh nooooo," I murmur, putting a hand to my face.

"You named something without me?" Mikey demands as he stands in front of Donnie. Newtralizer immediately starts firing at us and we talk off into a run. Soon we find a control room and Donnie looks to see Mikey glaring at him. "You named something without me?"

"Get over it," I tell him gently, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Something starts banging onto the door. Whether it was the Kraang or Newtralizer, I couldn't tell. "We gotta get out of this prison."

"Technically, this is a detention center," Mom and Mr. O'Neil point out in unison.

"Not now Donnie," Raph turns to Donnie before wincing. Mom crosses her arms. "Oh. Sorry, Mr. O'Neil and Ms. Smith." He looks at Leo. "Great, now there's three of them."

We hear something, gasping as the Kraang have gotten through the door. We attack, Mikey jumping onto one and kicking him down. He puts his hands on the ground and kicks another one, getting on his hands flipping to kick one away. Donnie jabs one with his staff, spinning it as he knocks another down.

"Little help!" Mikey calls out as Donnie does his work on the computer.

"How bout some big help?"

Leo turns around, slicing off an arm and the torso from a Kraang. "Not really the time to check your email," He slices the upper half off.

"Yeah, I would think you'd care a little bit more about safety," I deadpan as I spin around above a Kraang, slicing half of it off.

"I'm guessing if they had the Newtralizer locked up, it wasn't because he was their friend," Donnie slams a button and the other door opens, allowing Newtralizer in. He grabs the Kraang's head in front of him and rips it right off. He roars as he looks around.

"Apparently he likes trashing Kraang," Raph comments.

"Who doesn't?" Mikey asks. He fires his lasers, Raph and Mikey running out of his way and past the Kraang. They hide behind the computer with Mom and Mr. O'Neil, Leo and I ducking. Soon, all of the Kraang inside the room are defeated. We all cheer until he's pointing those deadly weapons at us.

"NO!" The five of us shout in horror that he's still gunning for us. He fires and we run as there's an explosion. We reach the car that got us here.

"We gotta access the control panel," Donnie slams at it.

"Got it," Raph raises a sai, but Donnie grabs his wrist, stopping him.

"Raph, I got it."

"Oh, really?" Raph questions with a grin.

"Really," Donnie takes the sai from him, stabbing it into the control panel. We fly up to the top, landing harshly on the ground. Donnie rolls himself and Mr. O'Neil away from the falling car. "Close one, huh?"

Newtralizer jumps out from below, landing on top of the car. "Good freakin' job, Donnie!" I yell to him and he cringes. The other turtles surround us.

"Let's split up. Donnie, you get Mr. O'Neil and Ms. Smith out of here."

"No," Mom grips my shoulder. "I can't let you send my daughter to fight that thing."

"Mom, it'll be fine," I place my hand on top of hers. "Let me handle this."

She stares at me and slowly nods. Newtralizer throws two discs and we jump out of the way, Raph landing on the car. He leaps into the air, attacking Newtralizer before the alien pushes him away. A tire hits him in the face and he lunges for Raph, who moves just in time. The alien fires, but Raph is nowhere to be seen. Mom and Mr. O'Neil are guided by Donnie, but Newtralizer turns his attention on them instead. They slowly move away as he follows them.

"No!" Donnie moves the two away and he roars at them, only to get a smoke bomb to the face. While he's distracted, Donnie leads the two to the door while Mikey jumps on Newtralizer's head, blowing a raspberry. He moves out of the way as Newtralizer had jumped towards him. The alien lands in front of Raph, Leo, and I. We narrow our eyes, holding our weapons before we charge at him. Leo lands at the wall and strikes, Raph and I doing the same. He goes to hit Raph, who hits him back. Leo slices at his weapons, but they do nothing. He spins around, using his tail to knock all of us back. He looms over us, preparing to finish us off.

Suddenly, a car appears out of nowhere. "Booyakasha!" Mikey declares and the three of us leap out of the way, allowing Mikey to hit the alien with a car.

"Mikey!" We all exclaim in worry, running towards the vehicle. He leans out from the window.

"Don't worry, I wore my seatbelt," He unbuckles himself and Raph chuckles as we help him up.

"Come on," He rubs Mikey on the head. I hug my mom as we leave the garage, smiling happily at our success. Donnie closes the door behind us. Hopefully that's the end of Newtralizer...

* * *

We arrive back to the lair. "April?" Mr. O'Neil calls out and she stands up with a smile.

"Dad? Dad!" She runs up to him, hugging him. "Oh Dad, I can't believe it." She turns to the turtles. "You guys saved my dad! Thank you so much."

"The guy you really should be thanking is Donnie," Raph puts an arm around Donnie, who's surprised.

"Well, I-"

"Seriously, you should've seen him," He pushes the rest of us away. "He was-" Raph's eyes are white as he chops the air, kicking and chopping like Donnie was a boss. Donnie puts a hand on his shell.

"Raph, I think that's a little-"

Raph puts his arm around Donnie, placing a hand on his head. "We kept saying, careful Donnie, it's too dangerous," Raph waves his hand, Mom and I glancing at each other briefly. I grin as I realize what Raph's trying to do. Raph being...Raph, he probably felt a little bad for telling Donnie what he said. And this is his redemption. "And Donnie was like danger, ha! Nothing'll stop me."

"Thank you!" Donnie covers his brother's mouth. "Thank you, Raphael," He chuckles nervously, patting his brother's plastron slightly. He rubs the back of his head. "Those weren't my exact words, but-" April walks up to him and hugs him, Donnie's eyes white in surprise.

"Oh, thank you, Donnie."

He falls onto the ground while chuckling. "Eh."

"Well," Raph replies as we look over him. "I tried."

"Dude, I'd say you succeeded," Mikey grins, Donnie giving us a thumbs up. I giggle, patting him on the head.

"There ya go! That's something," I encourage him.

* * *

In the living room, Mom approaches me and I smile happily. "I'm so happy that you're back, Mom."

"I am too," She hugs me and I smile. Now we just have to deal with the Kraang and everything will be fine...

"Uh, Mom?" I ask nervously as I was planning to tell her something important. "I have to tell you something, and...please don't freak out, but-"

"Oh, sweetheart, I can't wait for us to move back home."

"What?" I question in confusion. "Mom, I can't do that, the Kraang are still after me."

"Oh nonsense!" She waves it off. "Why stay down in the sewers when we can live it up on the surface?"

"Huh?" I raise an eyebrow that she's using that type of language. My mom never talks like that...and she's not even listening. Did she forget that an alien race wants to get not only her daughter, but my friend? Why is she so eager to go back already? Doesn't she understand that the same thing will happen if we go back right now?

"Come on, let's start packing!" She runs off towards the rooms and I stare after her, perplexed.

"Uh..." I stammer and Leo walks up to me.

"Hey Ames. Did you tell her yet?"

I sigh slowly, as I wanted to tell her that Leo and I are dating. She's always protective when it comes to that kind of stuff, so that's why I held it off until Leo convinced me to at least let her know. "No. She's acting weird. She wants to move back home," I cross my arms, staring after where she left.

"What?" He asks in worry. "You can't do that! There are still aliens and Foot after not only you, but April. And...and I want you to stay."

"I'll try my best to talk her out of it," I whisper as I rub a temple. "And then I'll tell her that we're going out."

"...When we do stop them...would you still stay here?"

My eyes widen as I turn to him sharply. This is the first time that anyone has brought this up... "I...I don't know," I mumble, scratching my neck. "It wasn't something I really thought about until now...My life was on the surface...and I just got my mom back...it's too soon for me to make that decision." I'm only 15. To make a rash choice like that...would probably take a toll on me. I know that they'd want me to stay, but I have a life back on the surface. I came here to be with my mother...and I still want to spend time with her. But the turtles...they're already like best friends to me, especially Leo. I don't want to give that up either...if I choose my mother, I see the turtles less and if I choose them, I see my mother less...so either way it's a lose-lose.

Leo heaves a sigh and I frown sadly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," He holds my hand. "As long as we get to tell your mother we're together...then I'll be satisfied. It's your choice and I don't wanna influence you to stay longer than you have to." He kisses my forehead. "I want her to know how much I care about you...and how I'll protect you."

"You don't need to protect me," I smile bashfully, blushing. "I have experience, remember?"

"I'd do it regardless," He chuckles and I hug him.

"I'll protect you too."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Ames."


	25. Showdown Part 1

**Angel: This chapter is not that long, but I tried ^^' Anyway, tomorrow this story will come to an end. And right before New Years, no less. Wish I could see my family in Orlando, but work schedules just got in the way. Anyway, thanks to everyone who read this remake. I'm totally satisfied with this one and I can finally move on with my life with TMNT...**

 **Oh wait. I still have to wait on Rise of the TMNT to come back...and there's that story I mentioned coming out on Thursday...and the one-shots story I'll release right after that XD God dangit, they have me in their grasp.**

Leo and I are excited because it's the final episode of Space Heroes! I haven't seen this episode in forever, so I'm hoping to be surprised. Leo holds out some popcorn to me and I take a handful without looking. Leo and I are beaming as it starts. "And now, the final episode of Space Heroes."

Leo and I gasp in excitement as it starts. The crew are being attacked by something as the ship shakes. "Captain, the destructinators are on our tail! We're...lost."

"I've got an idea," Captain Ryan rubs his chin. "It's crazy. It defies all logic. It's illegal in 16 solar systems and...my mother would most assuredly not approve. But, it just. Might. Work." He presses a button from his chair, but nothing good happens. "Nope!" He stands up. "Abandon ship!"

"Huh?" Leo and I gasp in shock. The crew starts to leave, but Captain Ryan stays behind.

"Wait, what are you doing, no!" I hold my hair in shock.

"Captain Ryan, aren't you coming?" Crankshaw asks him.

"A true captain goes down with his ship."

I gasp sharply, holding onto Leo's arm with bated breath. Crankshaw salutes to him. "Sir, it's been a privilege-"

Captain Ryan slaps him for the last time. "Just go." The door closes and Captain Ryan sits there. "Well, old girl, it's just you and me." He pats the chair slowly.

"What a hero," Leo places a hand on his cheek.

"Yeah..." The TV then shuts off and Leo turns around.

"What are you doing?"

"Yeah, what gives?" I turn to see Donnie. "That's the final episode of Space Heroes!"

"I've got something a little more important," Donnie explains and I sigh slowly. For his sake, it better be...

* * *

We've all gathered around in Donnie's lab except for my mom, dad, and Splinter. She...still wants to move and I've tried, but she won't let up. She wants to leave today, how am I supposed to convince to let me stay? I can't just leave my friends behind when the Kraang are still out there doing who knows what. This is so hard...I either leave my friends or stay with my mom...

"April and I have been sifting through all this Kraang chatter, and, well, listen to what we translated," Donnie types away before it activates, but I get the sense that someone is watching us.

"The final phase of the plan known as Kraang's invasion shall commence in the unit of time that is six hours. The Technodrome shall arrive from Dimension X through the portal." My eyes widen in horror. Only six hours?

"Are you sure this is the translated version?" Mikey asks and Donnie facepalms.

"They said in six hours, something called the Technodrome is coming through that portal. This is the final phase of the Kraang invasion," Donnie says in worry.

"W-Wait," Leo stammers, "But I thought April and Ames were the keys to the Kraang plot, and they don't have them."

"If that Technodrome comes through that portal, well, it sounds like the end of the world," Donnie reports gravely.

"So what do we do?" Raph asks as Mikey is whimpering.

"Guys," We all turn to Leo. He says nothing for a few seconds before looking up. "We've gotta find a way to shut that portal down," He stands up, looking at all of us. "It's up to us."

"To save the world?" Mikey asks him.

"Leonardo is right," We turn around to Splinter. "When you first went up to the surface, I feared you were not ready. But I have come to realize that you are not only ready to become heroes, it was your destiny. And if the fate of the world must rest in somebody's hands, I am grateful it is yours," He smiles a little and we bow our heads to him. We run past him and April smiles. "Leonardo, a moment, please," Splinter stops Leo and I peek to hear what he has to say. I know it's wrong to spy, but it did sound important.

"With the world at stake, the only thing of importance is that you complete your mission."

"Yes, Sensei," Leo says politely.

"No matter what you have to sacrifice...or who."

As much as I don't want it to be that last possibility, he does have a point...no matter what, we have to save the world. Anything to make sure that Earth is safe...

Leo only nods and Splinter leaves us the both of us with our thoughts. Luckily neither of them saw me.

* * *

We prepare on our mission to stop the Kraang. It took a lot of convincing from the turtles...and Splinter...and my mother...but I'm allowed to go. I want to help fight the Kraang. The turtles were always watching over me...so now I have to return the favor. Raph gathers weapons in front of Spike, Leo and I are going over plans with Donnie, and Raph grabs his sais. We later discuss the plan with Leo as Splinter meditates. Then we have to glare at Mikey who's eating a slice of pizza. Raph's prepared himself with all the weapons he could get and Donnie makes something to help us out. Mikey also gets Metalhead and we all grab our weapons. Raph says goodbye to Spike, Leo and I looking over the plan one last time.

Donnie hugs April as we stand in front of the Shellraiser. Splinter nods at us. "Lady, and gentlemen," Leo announces, "Let's save the world." We pile into the Shellraiser and take off into the tunnel.

 **~Regular~**

April stares after the subway car until it disappears. She glances at Splinter, curious about something. She has to stay behind so that the Kraang don't capture her, and she's not as advanced as Amy is with her training. "Um, Sensei..." April starts off nervously. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Of course not," Splinter answers gently.

"Why aren't you going with them?"

"Why do you ask?" Splinter asks her.

"The turtles and Amy are out there risking their lives. Don't you think they could use your help?" She wonders, narrowing her eyes.

"I am their teacher. My role is to prepare them for the challenges they face," Splinter tells her sharply.

"But, Sensei, you said yourself that this time the fate of the world-"

"Damare!" Splinter interrupts, making her quiet. "I do not have to explain myself to a child!" And with that, he goes to leave, but not before stopping for a few seconds, thinking about what she said. April crosses her arms, shaking her head. She didn't get it. Master Splinter could be of great help, but instead he's letting his own students risking their own lives while he stays behind.

* * *

 **~Amy~**

I'm driving as fast as I can down the subway tracks and we jump out onto the surface, turning right. "Alright, guys, we're gonna keep it simple. We go to TCRI and we use the micro-fission omni-disintegrator, which Donnie calculates is powerful enough to destroy the portal with a single shot," Leo states, Mikey turning to us.

"Well, then, why didn't we use it last time?"

"Because we didn't have it last time," Donnie tells him.

"You have an answer for everything, don't you, Donnie?"

"Yes," Donnie grins widely, "I do."

"Good one, Donnie," Raph grins in amusement at his brother. "Speaking of good one, are you sure this plan will work, Leo?"

I catch Leo gritting his teeth. "It has to work."

"If it doesn't...well...I don't wanna say it," I frown and Leo turns to me.

"Don't worry, we can do this," He places his hand on top of mine. "Together."

"Together..." I hold his hand, but I'm not totally relieved. I'll only be okay once this is all over...

* * *

 **~Regular~**

Splinter is meditating near the pool. April shakes her head at him, walking past to get to the pinball machine. She sulks there until Kirby and Nadia approach her. "Hey April. Where is everybody?"

"And my daughter?" Nadia looks around. "It's time for us to leave."

"The Kraang are making their move. The turtles and Amy are on their way to TCRI," April reports, turning to Nadia. "Are you sure you wanna go back home already, Ms. Smith? Shouldn't that be Amy's decision?" She knew it wasn't her business, but she believed that Amy should make that choice on her own. Besides, Amy looked so happy with the turtles...she wouldn't see them as often as she did now if she left. Not that April is saying she should stay.

"No," Nadia narrows her eyes. "I'm her mother, and she will do what I say." April glances at her, feeling weird. Given by Amy's description, she's not like this. She'd understand if Amy wanted to stay, so why is she being unreasonable?

"TCRI? Oh no," April turns around to her dad.

"What's wrong?" She asks, not hearing the blinking from the two devices on the adults' necks.

"The Kraang know that the turtles and Amelia are coming for them," Nadia tells her and April is a little suspicious already. When did she start calling Amy by her full name? She's her mother, she wouldn't do that unless she was angry.

"How do you know this?" April asks her father slowly, pulling out her T-Phone to warn them. Kirby places a hand on it.

"Don't. The Kraang have cracked the T-Phone's encryption. We've got to warn the turtles and Amelia in person," Kirby explains and April looks away skeptically.

"Uh..."

"I'm your father, April."

Nadia places a hand on April's shoulder. "You have to trust us. Come on." She starts to walk off with them, but Splinter sees them.

"April? Where are you going?"

"The turtles and Amy are in trouble. I've gotta go warn them," She explains, but Splinter can't allow her.

"But you know it's dangerous for you to be on the surface."

"Well, some of us can't just sit around and do nothing!" April replies harshly, walking off with her father and Amy's mother. Splinter looks away from her words.

They're walking down in the subway tunnels, but April doesn't recognize this path to TCRI. "Dad, Ms. Smith, what are you doing? This isn't the way to TCRI."

Kirby says nothing, narrowing his eyes as they turn to her. "Dad, what's going on?" Suddenly two Foot ninjas appear out of nowhere, grabbing her. She struggles as two people walk up to her. "Help!" She gasps sharply as she sees Karai and Jared walking past her father and Amy's mother.

"Hey there, princess." They both lean in.

"Miss us?" Jared smirks in amusement.

"Yeah, actually. Last time I saw you, I forgot to give you this!" April elbows Karai in the stomach and she steps back as two Mousers approach. She glares at her before the two ninjas turn to Kirby and Nadia.

"You've done well."

"Now take the message to Splinter," Jared turns to April. They both bow before they leave silently.

"Dad?" April murmurs in confusion as they walk past her. "Ms. Smith? Dad! Ms. Smith!" She looks at them as they just walk away. "What are you doing? Dad! Ms. Smith!" They don't respond as they walk down the tunnels and she struggles, horrified by what's happened. "You guys brainwashed him!"

"We know," Karai grins.

"Pretty cool, right?" Jared takes the lead, April just staring at them. She couldn't believe it. Her dad...she thought they were fine, but all this time, it was all part of their trap. And she fell for every second of it. She couldn't imagine what Amy would think if she could contact her. She'd probably be heartbroken. They just got their parents back, but now...

They're further gone from when they started...all of that work...for this. How is this even possible? They seemed normal, how could they do this to their parents? April could only stare at the two ninjas before she's escorted along with them. She'll get out of this, help her friends, and apologize to Splinter for yelling at him.

She has to.

Meanwhile, Miss Campbell is walking past some Kraang at TCRI. They suddenly hear a noise, turning around as a car seems to be arriving. She narrows her eyes as it's the Shellraiser. The Kraang point their laser guns at the entrance, along with some shock sticks. They wait as the car barges in and Miss Campbell jumps as the Kraang behind her are taken out. She points to the car and they fire, but it has no effect on the van. She holds up a hand to stop them, walking up to the car. The rooftop hatch opens and a robot fist flies towards Miss Campbell, knocking her out. They look to see Metalhead jumping towards them.

"Booyakasha!" The robot punches a Kraang and fires the blue lasers, taking out the Kraang in front of him, laughing. "Meet Metalhead!" Three Kraang are behind him, weapons ready, but Metalhead's prepared for that. "I see you!" He turns around sharply, setting them on fire.

 **~Amy~**

You'll never believe it until you see it, but it's happening...the turtles and I...are flying! Donnie made these Turtle Flyers. They're like bat wings but you use bike handles to control them. We all cheer as we fly above the city. Donnie has a speaker connected to Metalhead who's taking down Kraang. "Nice work, Donnie!" Raph calls out, Donnie grinning as he waves two fingers.

"You know what it's time for?" Mikey asks as he appears between Raph and Donnie. "The world's first ever mid-air high three!"

We all fly up in front of the moon, high-threeing. "Yeah!"

"This is awesome! Turtles were born to fly!" Mikey exclaims as I spin around above the turtles, laughing.

"Alright, guys, let's do this!" Leo declares as TCRI is in our sights. We fly past the top, coming back around to land on the roof. There's a few pigeons lying around, but they fly away once we land. Raph grins as he grabs the remaining one. He uses it to put the pigeon up to the camera so that we can sneak past security. Raph puts the pigeon, patting it on the head and shushing it before he follows us. I smirk at him as he's the last one and he points to his eyes before pointing at me. I roll my eyes, turning them white as two Kraang are keeping guard around the corner.

"It is quiet. Precisely the correct amount of quiet."

"Hey Kraang!" They turn to Mikey as he sticks out his tongue, pressing his cheeks as he blows air out. He shakes his hips and pretends to fall. The Kraang look over to see Mikey holding on using his spikes. He points to his right and they look to see Donnie knocking them off of the roof. They fall all the way onto the ground and Leo helps Mikey up as Donnie takes out his grappling hook. He fires it, and it lands at the pillar across from us. We use our weapons to get across the zipline.

* * *

 **~Regular~**

Splinter is meditating in the dojo, hoping that his sons and Amy will prevail. As he's lost in thought, he thinks about what April said to him earlier.

" _The turtles and Amy are out there risking their lives. Don't you think they could use your help?"_

" _Some of us can't just sit around and do nothing!"_

He hears a whirring noise, opening an eye. He glares as Kirby and Nadia approach him. He spins his staff, pointing at them. "Stop!" They stare at him and he's confused as they left with... "Where is April?"

"Master Shredder wanted you to have this message."

"Master...Shredder?" He asks slowly that they're referring to him that way. This makes him suspicious now. The Mousers walk up to him and he backs away as he's never seen them before. "Nani?" They emit a hologram which shows Shredder, looking full of hatred and evil as usual.

"So, Hamato Yoshi, you thought you could hide from me forever. I have April O'Neil." His eyes widen at that. Shredder...their enemy...has April? "And if you value her life, you will come and face me like a man. We will finish what we started all those years ago." If he doesn't go, April's at risk. And if he does, he might not come back...

Kirby and Nadia leave with the Mousers, Splinter dropping his staff as he kneels. He didn't think he'd have to face Shredder so soon...not like this...but he has to go and save April. His sons and Amy are too busy with their own enemies, so he'll have to do this alone.

Looks like April got what she asked of him after all...

* * *

 **~Amy~**

The Kraang are preparing the portal for the invasion. I can't help but feel that there'll be a lot more to come from this...what if something else has happened? What if we do stop them, but something else happens? I just...I just have a bad feeling about all of this, despite Leo's assurances...

"We gotta take out that portal," Donnie whispers as we're hiding in the ceiling. Traag is there, but i wonder how he got there? Did they bring him back? What does that mean for Leatherhead, then...

"I forgot about him," Raph says.

"Don't worry. We'll be gone before that rock monster even knows we're here," Donnie says as Leo points the disintegrator at the portal. Hopefully we can take it out and leave with no problems.

"Oka guys, this all ends in three...two...one," Leo pulls the trigger and fires...but it has a force field. I knew it, I knew it. Man, why do I do this to myself? "What? There's a force field?" He turns to Donnie. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Well, because I wanted us to fail," Donnie says sarcastically. "OBVIOUSLY I DIDN'T KNOW!"

His scream alerts the Kraang and I glare at them. "Nice going. You can kiss and make-up later," I pull out my sword.

"Anyone got a plan B?" Raph asks as we hear a growl, turning around to see Traag staring at us. We scream at him and he punches. We jump over him and Leo lands in front of the portal, looking at the disintegrator and not knowing what to do now. Traag stands behind him and Leo screams as Traag raises a foot!

* * *

 **~Regular~**

April pulls at her restraints in Shredder's lair. Dogpound is standing in front of her. Fishface turns to him. "So how good is this so-called ninja master, anyway?"

"...One of the best. He trained in the same ninja clan as Master Shredder." Splinter is outside right now, his hood covering his face. "They used to be like brothers, until Hamato Yoshi betrayed him." The soldiers surround Splinter and one of them attacks first. Splinter turns to him, knocking the ninja into the others and defeating them easily. Splinter turns around, knocking down others with his hands. More approach, but he defeats them and knocks them down the stairs, even pushing one's face into a pillar.

"What most people don't know is that was another, but he's in the wind. No one knows where he is now, but I heard that he has a daughter somewhere in New York. Let me put it to you this way." Splinter grabs a ninja by the face and knocks him unconscious.

"He's as skilled as Master Shredder, but he doesn't have the stomach to finish the fight." Splinter approaches the door.

* * *

 **~Amy~**

"Leo, look out!" I push Leo out of the way, sliding as ice forms underneath my feet. Skates form underneath my boots as I turn around to Traag. I pull Leo and start skating around, but he's following us. Leo points the disintegrator at Traag, blowing off a leg. We both trip and he leans over us, vomiting lava above us. Leo rolls us away as the lava melts the ice underneath us.

"Thanks Ames! Donnie?" Leo looks up. "How's that plan B coming?"

"I'm thinking," Donnie calls out as he's holding a Kraang against his shell, the other Kraang firing at him.

"Think faster," Leo tells him, firing to blow off an arm from Traag.

"I can probably hack into the Kraang system if you'd give me enough time!" Some of Traag's parts fall on the Kraang behind Donnie.

"Great, do that," Leo calls out and Donnie spins his staff as he jumps, knocking out two Kraang brains. He pulls out a device, plugging it into the computer. He then plugs it into his phone, concentrating.

* * *

 **~Regular~**

April's still pulling at her bonds and Fishface hears something from outside. Dogpound looks up as he heard it too. "What was that?"

"He's here."

The doors open slightly to reveal a ninja. He drops onto the ground, unconscious. Dogpound and Fishface let out a gasp. He reaches out to them until he disappears into the darkness. Splinter appears right behind them and Dogpound growls, swinging his large fist. Splinter ducks and when Dogpound slams his fist onto the ground, he dodges that too. He tries to scratch Splinter with his other arm, but the rat jumps over it like it's nothing, slapping Dogpound near April.

Fishface attacks next and Splinter watches him. Fishface moves around, trying to surprise Splinter with a sneak attack. He spins around one of his legs, using his hands to spin around before he tries to kick Splinter in the air.

Dogpound comes to and attacks from behind as Fishface is kicking in the air. Splinter backs away, dodging Fishface's kicks. He jumps to kick Splinter, but he moves out of the way and Fishface hits Dogpound instead. Fishface gasps as Dogpound holds his pants, groaning and falling onto the ground. Splinter's standing right behind him and Fishface jumps, only for Splinter to grab his tail. Fishface goes in to bite, but he bites his own tail and Splinter pushes him into the water. Splinter looks down as Fishface swims away, Dogpound running out the door.

Deciding not to think anything of it, he focuses his attention on April, who hasn't looked up or said anything. Probably out of fear. He runs up to April. "April, it is me. Do not make a sound. I will have you out in a moment," He goes to grab her cuffs, but his hands phase right through her. He gasps as April flickers, smirking as it was just a hologram from a Mouser. "Hando?"

He jumps and throws a shuriken, taking out the Mouser. Then someone's laughing and he stands up in shock.

"Hamato Yoshi. I am so glad you accepted my invitation." Splinter looks around, but he can't see him or determine where he is. Fire suddenly appears from behind the walls, lighting up the room.

"What have you done with April?" Splinter demands with clenched fists.

"Now that you are here, Miss O'Neil is no longer any use to me. I gave her to my new friends, the Kraang." April looks up in fear as the aliens surround her.

"You fool!" Splinter yells at him, as that was the last thing he wanted, but now it's come true. The Kraang are more dangerous now that they have April...and can do whatever they wish with her... "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

He's suddenly hit from behind as Shredder stands there. "Yes. I took your family away, and now I can put an end to you, once and for all."

Splinter removes his hood, looking up at Shredder. "What? A rat?" Shredder just chuckles at Splinter's fate. "I see you are as hideous as those turtles and female that surround you. How fitting. You are a rat who has been caught in my trap."

"Look closely at this face, Shredder," Splinter threatens, "for it is the last thing you'll ever see!"

* * *

 **~Amy~**

Traag raises a fist, slamming it against the ground. Leo and I are jumping around as he tries to figure out what to do. "Come on, come on!" He fires the disintegrator again, blowing off an arm. "This thing's running out of juice!"

"And guys," We turn to Mikey, "Look!" He's pointing at the portal which is starting up. "The portal!"

"Oh no," I murmur and Leo turns to the others.

"Whatever's coming through the portal is gonna be here soon."

Meanwhile, Donnie still hasn't gotten through to the system. Raph lands above him as laser blasts fly past them. "When's that force field coming down, Donnie?"

"I'm working on it," Donnie calls out and Raph gets hit by a laser. He turns around to see a Kraang, eyes on fire. He throws his sais, his knives, and his daggers before tackling the Kraang and throwing him to the lower level. Remind me never to hit Raph, even if on purpose.

Tragg smashes the Kraang body as he's standing behind Leo and I, more Kraang showing up to fight us. I slice one away while Leo jabs one, kicking it in the air and hitting Traag's face. He jumps up into the air and yells, shoving the disintegrator into Traag's chest, making him explode. He lands as the torso falls, his fallen parts shaking. They start rolling towards him, Mikey looking in disgust before he turns to Leo.

"I forgot he could do that."

"Forgetting a lot of things about him today," I murmur as he starts to piece himself together.

"Not good," Leo mutters.

"Guys, I think I got it," We glance up at Donnie as the toaster pops, and instead of toast, it's a hula girl. The force field shuts down. "Yes! All hail me!"

The portal starts up after he says that and our eyes widen in horror. "Uh oh, guys?" The energy goes outside the building, erupting in the sky before a large ship is in our sights.

"Holy giant floating shippy-ship," Mikey murmurs in shock, the Kraang surrounding us and firing. "Leo! Do the zippy zappy thing now!"

"Come on, baby. Come on, baby. Come on, baby!" Leo urges and the weapon starts up. "Yes!" He points it towards the portal. "Say goodnight, Kraang!" Unfortunately, nothing happens and our eyes turn white in shock as we stare at it.

"What the heck happened?!" Donnie exclaims as it's smoking.

"I think the batteries died," Leo says in panic.

"Well that's just flipping great!" I place my hands on my hips as i look at it. Raph grabs a Kraang, using it to shield himself from the Kraang's lasers.

"And we'll be joining 'em unless someone thinks of something!" He shouts at us as the Technodrome has arrived.

"What's plan C, Leo?" Donnie asks as Traag is now fully repaired.

"Oh great, how can things get worse?!" I yell as Leo looks around, seeing something.

"Donnie, what would happen if I ruptured the power cell?" Leo wonders and I look at it.

"The whole place would go up, with us in it!" Donnie tells him and Leo narrows his eyes, pulling out his sword.

"Go!"

"What?" I murmur in confusion at him.

"Whoa Leo, you're not thinking what I think you're thinking," Donnie warns and Leo runs off. "He's thinking it!"

"Wait, we're just gonna leave him?!" I shout as they jump to the ceiling.

"Ice princess, come on!" Raph grabs my hand and I look behind as Leo slices Kraang left and right. I try not to cry as I watch him.

We end up outside before Leo crashes through the window, with an explosion happening at the top of TCRI. Leo falls down from it, looking at the pavement. He covers his eyes before Raph yells, capturing him.

"Gotcha! In your face, gravity!"

Leo and I sigh in relief as we fly next to them. "Thanks, Raph."

"Anytime, buddy."

"Don't do that to me," I warn Leo.

"I'm sorry," He smiles sheepishly.

"I can't believe it. We saved the world," Donnie says in shock.

"Yeah!" Mikey nods next to us. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Our eyes widen in horror, flying away screaming as we turn to look at the very large Technodrome staring down at us. It's so big that I'm not even sure if it beats the size of Earth. We look at it nervously as it starts to power up.

"Uh, I gotta stop saying stuff like that."

Definitely way too early to celebrate...the Technodrome...is now on Earth.

Ready to invade...


	26. Showdown Part 2

**Angel: Here it is...the final chapter. And since this is the final chapter...I am sorry to say that there is not enough votes to garner a second season. I'll extend the poll, but I don't think it'll do much :/ So, I will definitely release the new story Thursday, and then I will do the one-shot story soon after. As for IMT the Movie, I will get back to it, just not right now. Every single chapter I have to make a lot of edits. Like with making it bold, I have to do that every single time and that can get long and too much to do at times. Don't know when I'll go back to it, but it's not cancelled. Besides, in the summer, I'll be doing TMNT 2007, so I wouldn't have the time to go back to IMT the Movie right now.**

 **I still have Rise of TMNT to wait on since that episode's not coming out for another few weeks. And I'm still doing Sophia X (still not done with season 2...), so I need something else to work on. Sadly...this remake just didn't fit the bill for that third story. Sorry guys. Enjoy this finale.**

 _Previously on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles..._

 _The Kraang were preparing for their assault on Earth as their leader stared down at them all. "Kraang! Kraang! Kraang!"_

" _The invasion that is known as the invasion of the Earth begins...now."_

" _In six hours, something called the Technodrome is coming through that portal," Donnie explained in worry._

" _We've gotta find a way to shut that portal down." They prepared themselves with weapons, flying over the city with their Turtle Flyers. "Alright, guys, let's do this."_

 _April was walking through the subway tunnels with Kirby and Nadia. "This isn't the way to TCRI. Dad, Ms. Smith, what's going on?" They stared at her as she got surrounded by Foot Ninjas._

" _Hey there, princess." Karai and Jared approached her._

 _Splinter fought the Foot ninjas outside Shredder's lair. "The turtles and Amy are out there, risking their lives. Don't you think they could use your help?"_

" _I took your family away, and now I can put an end to you," Shredder declared, showing his gauntlet._

" _With the world at stake, the only thing of importance is that you complete your mission." Leo hit the power cell with his sword. "No matter what you have to sacrifice...or who." The rooftop at TCRI exploded._

" _That wasn't so hard, was it?" Mikey asked before the Technodrome came into view. "I gotta stop saying stuff like that."_

 **~Amy~**

The Kraang ship looms over the city, engulfing some of it and the citizens in shadow. The turtles and I are examining it in horror. Raph's still holding onto Leo from his rescue, since he lost it from the explosion. "I think I speak for all of us when I say-" Mikey starts screaming as we're flying away from it.

"What the heck is that thing?" Raph demands, Leo laying on top of Raph, holding onto the bike handles.

"It's the end of the world!" Leo exclaims and I cringe.

"How are we gonna stop this?!" I gesture to the ship behind me.

Donnie appears between Raph and I. "Actually, it's just the end of humanity's reign as the planet's dominant life form. You know, like when the dinosaurs-"

"Now? Really? Y-You're gonna do this now?" Leo interrupts.

"Well excuse me, but it's how I deal with stress!" Donnie shouts back at him.

"Well, maybe it doesn't have weapons," Raph suggests nervously, but I hear something move behind me. "Does it look like it has weapons?" The cannons from the outside of the ship start moving and they fire at us.

"I think it has weapons!" Leo answers nervously and the ship continues firing. We fly out of the way and I look back in panic. When did it come to this?!

* * *

 **~Regular~**

"Oruko Saki," Splinter speaks as they don't know what's going on right outside. Not that it mattered. Now it's just the two of them. "You were once my friend. I thought of you as my brother. 15 years ago, I was a different man. I had everything I could want. A loving wife and a beautiful daughter."

" _Let's name her...Miwa."_

"And you, my loyal friend? Jealousy consumed you. You sought that which was mine. You took everything that I loved. Everything! And still you hunt me down!" He glares fiercely at his former friend. He remembers all the hate...all the bloodshed...all the destruction. Splinter opens his eyes.

"So I fight you now. To end this!" Splinter charges with a yell and spins, kicking Shredder in the face. Shredder tries to punch him, but Splinter moves to behind him. Shredder leaps towards him and Splinter jumps back. When Shredder goes to knock the rat off his feet, Splinter flips in the air, landing in front of the entrance. They charge towards each other, Shredder's blade hitting Splinter's staff. He punches Splinter, who flips above him and trying to hit Shredder from behind. Shredder obviously notices it and jumps away, rolling and jumping. Splinter throws three shuriken, but it misses over Shredder's helmet.

Splinter jumps, landing across from Shredder. He grips his staff as they growl at each other, Splinter adjusting his stance. Shredder watches him and Splinter falls from the glass, panting as he shakes his head. Shredder is no longer in the spot where he was watching Splinter.

The rat stands up, looking around as he tries to sense his enemy. He hears a squeak and throws two shuriken, only for them to hit stone. He stands there quietly as there's an eerie silence in the air. He suddenly looks up to see Shredder jumping above him. Splinter hits him, knocking him away. His eyes widen as he sees another stone in front of him and not Shredder.

He's toying with the rat. He can feel it. He turns around and fire appears behind him. He jumps from the rocks and lands above the water. He looks up just in time to see Shredder attacking.

* * *

 **~Amy~**

The giant ship is still firing at us relentlessly. We're all trying not to get hit and while flying around, Mikey bumps into Donnie, making them fall. "Donnie! Mikey!" Leo calls out and my flyer gets hit with a laser, causing me to lose balance and fall towards the street. "Ames, no!"

We all land on a rooftop and I groan, still hearing the ship firing. I don't know where Leo and Raph ended up, but hopefully they're okay.

We eventually find them at an alley, Raph leaning towards a dumpster. "Are you guys alright?" Donnie asks as I help Leo up.

"Been better."

A shadow looms over us and we all gasp in horror at the giant ship still flying.

"What do we do now?" Donnie asks.

"We need to talk to Splinter," Leo tells us, "Come on."

* * *

At the lair, it seems to be empty. Normally, April or someone else would be waiting for us. Not even my own mother seems to be around, which is odd. "Hello?" Leo asks as we enter. "Sensei?"

"April?" Donnie calls out.

"Mom?" I question loud enough for her to hear, but nothing.

"Spike?!" Raph asks frantically and Spike lifts his head. Raph sighs in relief as he picks up his pet turtle, putting him on his shoulder. "Don't scare me like that, buddy." They touch fingers as Raph smiles, Mikey walking past him to head to the dojo.

I look in April's room and my room, but neither April or my mother are present. I don't understand, how could they just be gone? And I already know they wouldn't train when the Kraang are invading with that ship...so what gives?

"Whoa, dude, dudette, chill!" I hear Mikey shout and I look at the others.

"Come on!" We run forward to see Mikey being attacked by Kirby and my mother? What?

"Hey!" Leo shouts as we tackle them. But there's something on the back of Kirby's neck.

"What the heck is going on?" Raph demands as I move my mom's hair to see a small silver device, the same one as Kirby's.

"Guys, check this out," Donnie shows them the device from Kirby. He glances at me and I show them the same one.

* * *

Donnie holds up the two devices, staring at them. He's safely removed them, but it knocked the two unconscious. I give my mother a quick look, frowning. "So what is it?" Leo asks as we look at them.

"A mind control device."

"What!" I exclaim, upset that the Kraang did that. How dare they mind control my mother? I just got her back into my life. When we see the Kraang again, I'm gonna make them pay for doing this. Raph takes one of the devices from Donnie.

"Really?" He pulls Mikey so that his shell is facing Raph, attempting to put it on him.

"No, stop it! Stop it!" Mikey yells and I roll my eyes, Leo's arms crossed.

"Raph," Leo warns and we hear groaning, looking up to see the two adults waking up.

"Mr. O'Neil, are you okay?" Donnie asks slowly.

"Mom," I bend down to her, shaking her a little and she hugs me tightly, trying not to cry. I glance at the others in confusion before patting her back.

"Oh, it was horrible, Amy! Horrible!"

"We've done something terrible," Mr. O'Neil starts off, Donnie placing a hand on his shoulder. I rock back and forth as I pat my mom's hair. Suddenly I feel like I'm the parent and she's the child...weird. Sometimes she's a little dramatic, but nothing like this.

"Well, it wasn't your fault, Mr. O'Neil and Ms. Smith," Donnie tells them gently. "Just tell us what happened."

"Mom. Mom, calm down," I reply calmly and she blows her nose into my jacket. I look down at the snot in disgust.

Mr. O'Neil sighs slowly. "It appears the Kraang have formed an alliance with your enemy, Shredder."

"That's not all!" Mom bawls, "We fear that the Shredder has handed April over to the Kraang! We're terrible people."

"Shredder kidnapped April?!" Donnie shouts and I look up.

"Sensei must've gone after her," Raph suggests and Mom wipes her mascara-stained face with a tissue.

"Mom, you didn't know what you were doing. It's not your fault," I'm trying to calm her down and I whisper 'help' to Leo. He walks over and slowly pulls Mom off of me. Thank goodness, because I don't need snot on anything else.

"So where is April now?" Donnie questions Mr. O'Neil. I could tell he won't even bother with my mother since she's all emotional.

"They're taking her to the Technodrome."

"The what?" Raph asks in confusion. We turn to the TV, which Mikey turned on for some reason.

"Carlos Chang O'Brien Gambe here. Pandemonium in the streets as a 'techno-terror-drome' hovers over downtown."

Mikey turns to us. "Dudes, dudette, this is getting freakier by the minute!"

"You turned the TV on?" I ask slowly and he smiles sheepishly.

"We just escaped that freaky sphere and now we gotta break into it?" Raph asks in disbelief.

"Hm," We turn to Mr. O'Neil, "In a matter of hours, the world we once knew will be gone."

"The Kraang want April to help in their conquest of Earth!" Mom sniffles, wiping her nose.

* * *

 **~Regular~**

April is lying down somewhere cold. She brings herself to open her eyes slowly, seeing a large pink brain staring down at her. Her eyes widen and she struggles, but her metal restraints prevent her from moving.

"April O'Neil," The brain says slowly. She looks in horror as she realizes where she is. "Kraang has waited a long time."

"Where am I?" She demands, "What's going on?"

"Like all Kraang, I am called Kraang. But you can call me Kraang. Kraang has need of this planet for Kraang to live on."

Five times she heard the word Kraang in the same sentence. If she could, she'd smack him. "Um, that's great, but we're kind of using it. So you came all this way for nothing. Bummer."

"No. Kraang came all this way for you, April O'Neil, and Amelia Smith!" Kraang Prime explains.

"Oh really? As if we have anything to offer to you Kraangs. Watch, she's gonna come here and kick your tentacles off!" April threatens, but she's not sure if Amy even knows about where she is. But she has hope. Hope that she'll get out, hope that her friends will stop them. She doesn't notice the wires approaching her from behind.

"Like Amelia, your mental energies are uniquely attuned to this universe. Once Kraang gains this ability, Kraang will transform your world into a world for Kraang," Kraang Prime informs her, his gross mouth tentacles wiggling.

"And how are you going to do that, exactly?" April asks the brain, the wires moving to her face. They start coming towards her and she lets out a scream.

* * *

Splinter clashes his staff with Shredder's gauntlet, the fire surrounding them in their fierce battle. Shredder tries to punch and spin kick, but Splinter dodges them all. He strikes his weapon against Shredder's blades again. Shredder jumps into the air and Splinter narrowly misses him by the head.

"Why must you persist in this insanity?" Splinter demands, narrowing his eyes.

"You took Tang Shen from me!" Shredder's right gauntlet emits his blades.

"She was never yours," Splinter extends his weapon into a whip, capturing Shredder's right arm with it. He goes to punch Splinter, who jumps, capturing his torso. He jumps forward with a blade in his hand, but Shredder knocks it out of his hand.

 **~Amy~**

Everyone's going crazy at the Technodrome as pods are flying around, snatching humans for their own purposes. Fire escapes, the streets, everywhere to be taken back inside the ship. Some cars are on fire and we hide behind them.

"We gotta get in one of those pods," Leo whispers, Donnie popping his head up.

"But how? There are 8 Kraangdroids between us and there," Donnie whispers back.

"We could create a diversion," Leo suggests and I rub my chin.

"Excuse me, how many did you say there were?" Raph speaks up from behind.

"8," Leo confirms and I shake my head.

"Well, I don't think bait is gonna work. Not when they wanna use April and I for their plans..."

"We could all dress up like robots, sneak in," Mikey suggests and we stare at him with blank looks.

"Or, I could try to override their security codes by-"

A yell interrupts him and we turn around to see Raph taking down all the mentioned Kraang by himself. He puts a Kraang head on his sai and spins it around.

"Or...that might work," Leo replies slowly. "Let's go!"

We leap from the pile of cars.

* * *

 **~Regular~**

"You never had anything but hatred," Splinter spits at Shredder. "And if you defeat me, you will have nothing!"

Shredder breaks free from the rope, stabbing at the ground. Splinter lands a few feet away from him. He just laughs as he stands up, the voice echoing throughout his lair.

"That is where you are wrong. You took something from me, so I took something from you. Your daughter."

Splinter's eyes widen in shock. His...daughter? The one he thought was dead? That had supposedly cherished with his wife? She's...alive? What he didn't know is that when he saw Shredder walk away...he was holding Miwa in his arms...

"No...it can't be." He shakes his head slowly.

* * *

 **~Amy~**

We're hiding in one of the pods as we're flying above the city, headed towards the ship. The pod flies inside a tunnel and we look around at all the people they've kidnapped so far. They even stole pets, now I know that they're pure evil. A pod is taken from the left side. They're taking them one by one to somewhere.

"Okay guys. This is it. On three. One, two," Raph lifts the lid. "Three!" However, when we step out, we don't land on the floor. We're floating around like crazy.

"What's going on?"

"I think the Kraang forgot to pay their gravity bill!" Mikey says as a wire takes him. We all gasp, but he appears right behind us and he's fine.

"It appears the Kraang have generated anti-gravitons," Donnie explains, Leo turning to him.

"Is there any way for you to generate anti-anti-gravitons?"

"You mean gravitons?"

"Yes."

"No!"

"Oh great, so we get to fly around silly," I deadpan as I hear Mikey's stomach churning.

"Guys, I'm gonna throw up. Or down. Or maybe sideways. But one thing's for sure. I'm majorly gonna throw," He holds his plastron.

"Oh shell no!" I tell him as a pod moves him forward.

"We still have a job to do, so let's go," We grab onto the pod that Mikey's at, moving past the Kraang. We're taken to a tunnel, hiding there as the alien brains move right past us, not seeing a thing.

"Yo, zero g is banging!" Mikey whispers in excitement. "The Kraang should turn this into a carnival ride!"

"Uh, I think they're more interested in using it to destroy the Earth," Leo points out.

"It could do both," Mikey adds and I shake my head.

"No. Just no." I just hope that they don't get everything that they need from April to power up the ship.

We hear a muffled scream, causing us to go silent. "It's April!" Donnie shouts in concern.

"Can you say that a little louder? I don't think the entire Technodrome heard you," Raph whispers sarcastically. He turns around to see ALL of the brains staring at us. "Nevermind, they did." We all pull out our weapons. The ship starts powering up as Leo lands on the ground.

"That can't be good." He jumps up and knocks two brains away, Donnie landing on his feet. They push each other to gain more momentum. Donnie knocks two brains off of Mikey. Raph spins around as the anti-gravitons are still on. Leo pushes Raph out of the way as two brains come in firing. Leo slices them and Raph grabs one, using it to fly around. I spin around and kick one to the wall. I place my hand above my head as if I'm looking out to something.

"For alien brains, they're good sports equipment!" I call out.

Mikey grabs a brain with his chain, spinning it around in the air. As more brains approach, we jump around from the walls, knocking all the brains out. As Leo lands, we hear another scream, Raph leaning towards the floor. He stabs at it, opening a panel and jumping through it. Donnie pulls Mikey inside and does the same with me.

"April O'Neil, your mind belongs to Kraang. Soon your world will be ours. Let the planetary mutation...begin. Witness the end of your kind."

"Not if we can help it," Leo declares and the large brain looks up to see us hanging from the wires.

"The turtles and Amelia? Kraang will not be stopped by pathetic mutants and a female!"

"At least we're not stupid aliens," Mikey retorts back, Leo turning to Raph.

"Raph, quick!" Raph flips, kicking the brain in the space between his eyes. This distracts him long enough for Donnie to free April. The restraints release her and Donnie takes off the helmet from her head. They must've used her to power up the ship. She leans forward slightly and Donnie catches her. The ship powers down and April looks up at Donnie.

"You're my hero."

Donnie chuckles giddily, blushing. "Hey, chuckles. We gotta get out of here," Raph tells him and Donnie puts April over his shell.

"Let's go!"

We climb up the wires, leaving the large brain behind.

We're running down the corridor, with April still holding onto Donnie. The Kraang are firing at us, but Leo takes them down quickly. From the ceiling, the brains are shooting at us and we jump, using the platforms to get higher. Leo jumps on one, kicking it all the way down onto the floor. There's an explosion down below as we continue jumping, but the ship tilts all the way to its side. We have to hang on the whole time, or else there wouldn't be another way to get up. The robots continue their attack and we grit our teeth at them.

We jump across the ceiling, Raph stabbing a Kraang with his sai and throwing him into another Kraang. As Leo jumps, he kicks a Kraang down. I jump all the way up into the air and spin, throwing a couple of ice daggers at the remaining Kraang, defeating them.

"Leo, I have a question," Mikey calls out. Leo takes down a Kraang in front of him.

"Can it wait?"

"Not really!" Mikey answers back. "Did we beat that big Kraang thingy?"

"Yes, Mikey, we did," Leo turns his attention back on running.

"Okay," Mikey turns around. "Then why is it following us?!"

"What?!" I exclaim in a high-pitched voice as we look to see a large Kraang brain using a robot body. We start running again, even faster, but it catches up with us regardless, extending its arms at us. Mikey trips, but continues running. We can't miss a single step or we'd fall. Suddenly the robot body starts firing lasers at us. Man, what is up with all the lasers today? There's an explosion as the laser continues firing.

Hope leaps up in my chest as there's a single pod up ahead. "Everybody, there's one last escape pod up ahead," Donnie informs and Mikey trips when the Kraang stomps near him. He spins, landing off the floor.

"Mikey!" I shout and Kraang looks over to see Mikey. It prepares to fire and Leo runs up to it.

"Get away from my brother!" He screams, flipping and slicing off the laser. It lands below and Leo holds out a hand to him. "Hurry, Mikey!" Leo pulls Mikey up and the robot body gets onto its feet again.

"There's nowhere for you to run, mutants!"

Leo and Mikey start running as we make it to the pod. "Leo! Leo!" Donnie calls out and I look behind me as I stand in front of the pod.

"All of you will die here!"

We stare at Leo as he just stands there, staring at the Kraang. It thrusts its robotic arms at us and Leo jumps forward with Mikey's chain, capturing the arms and pulling from behind. I can hear him struggling as Kraang tries to break free.

"Leo!" Raph and I shout as I step forward.

"No! Get out of here, now!"

"What are you talking about?" Raph asks, wide-eyed.

"Dude, you can't do this!" Mikey protests as I'm trying not to cry.

"Leo...get into the pod...why aren't you coming?" My voice tries not to break.

"Go! Mikey, Donnie, grab Amy and get out of here!"

No...No he can't be doing this...no... "I can't hold it back any longer!"

I'm about to help him, but two arms grab me, pulling me towards the pod. I struggle with Donnie and Mikey. "No, get your hands off me!" I didn't care. I wanted to help him. He...he can't do this. "Stop it! LEO!" I screech at the top of my lungs, my hair flying around as they pull me backwards. "Let me go! Stop!" I protest as they're too strong for me to get free. "Stop! Leo! LEO!"

"We gotta go now!" Donnie's trying to calm me down, but it's not working. How can I calm down when Leo's about to sacrifice himself? Mikey closes the door, Raph and I taking one last look as Kraang had broken free.

"Leonardo!"

It feels like time is slowing down as we're launched out of the Technodrome and into the water below. Luckily, the pod floats and we're all safe. All except for...

The door opens and we stand up as the sun is shining...but not for the right reasons.

"I can't believe it," Donnie murmurs in shock. "We made it!"

Raph slaps his arm and the Technodrome sinks into the water, destroying the Kraang...

"Leo. No," Mikey says in horror as the destroyed ship disappears. "I can't believe he's gone."

"Leo," Donnie murmurs as April starts crying. I'm trying to be strong...like he would want...but I can't...

Raph sits down solemnly. "I gave him nothing but a hard time..."

My jacket slips off as I start crying and I cover my eyes with it. What if...what if he was blown up in the explosion? Leo...had no armor or nothing...and I wasn't protecting him...and I promised him...

"Amy..." Donnie whispers quietly as they listen to my sobs. "Don't cry...please..."

"It's all my fault! Because I let him risk himself!" I shout, continuing to cry.

"No, it's not your fault, Amy..." I hear Mikey say.

"If I had to do it all over again, I'd definitely be nicer," Raph replies as I sink to my knees, bawling my eyes out. I can't believe it...he's gone, just like that...I'll never see him again...

"Really?"

"Really..." Our heads whip up at the voice. "Leo?" We turn to see Leo swimming up to us, having used a Kraang pod to float. "Leo! Leo, you dork," Raph pulls him up as Mikey's chuckling in relief. "You scared the heck out of us." I sniffle, looking up at him past my jacket. I'm relieved...but my heart is still pounding...

"We won!" Mikey cheers, laughing. "Oh, man, I love you bros," Mikey says as they group hug, but I don't as I'm still crying.

"LEONARDO!" I jump over to Leo and hug him, my jacket covering his plastron. I hear him sigh a little as my eyes are squeezed shut, tears in them. "I was worried," I sniffle, "Are you really okay? You're not hurt?"

I feel him sigh again. "Ames...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get you all upset."

I look up at him as I didn't care about that. "You're not hurt or anything? Are you sure you're alright?" I ask again in concern.

"Yes," He wraps his arms around me as I'm still crying. It's kinda getting hard to cry...my tears are drying up fast and everyone's staring, but I could care less.

"You idiot! How could you do that?!" I shout as I shake him by the plastron.

"I...I felt like I had to...to save everyone...including you..." He whispers as he looks at me.

"Don't leave me like that again, okay?" A dry tear falls down my eye as we hear the other pods emerging.

"I won't...I promise," He cups my cheek and we kiss passionately.

* * *

"Who saved the world?" Mikey hollers as we're back down at the lair.

"We saved the world!" The rest of us cheer.

"I said who saved the world?!"

"We saved the world!"

"I said-"

"Stop asking!" Raph shouts at him, clenching his fist as a threat.

"We saved the world," Mikey plays with his fingers sheepishly, Raph shoving a pizza box in his face. The box falls as Mikey has a pizza slice in his mouth. April sees Splinter and walks away to the dojo to talk to him. I hug Leo, humming as he chuckles, kissing the top of my head.

We walk up to the dojo, joining April. "What's wrong, Sensei?" Leo asks in concern as Splinter looks troubled about something.

"I learned some things from the Shredder..." He closes his eyes as there's this hesitance. I wonder what exactly he means by that.

"Like what?" I question and he takes a step forward.

"That's for another time, Leonardo and Amelia," He places a hand on Leo's shoulder. "Tonight is for celebration. After all, it is not every day you make the world safe from an alien invasion."

"You got that right!" Mikey throws an arm around Leo. "Everybody, who saved the world?"

"Mikey," The turtles, my mother, and even Mr. O'Neil says. He groans slightly, but we jump into the air with a smile.

"We saved the world."

Raph puts on a record, Donnie and April doing the chicken dance together as the celebrating starts. We watch Raph and Leo dance together, cheering and hollering. April does some moves and Donnie stares at her, amazed. I giggle at his expression and Raph moves past April, doing some moves himself. He spins on the floor and Mikey pulls out a smoke bomb, throwing it on the ground. When it clears, Mikey does the robot. Donnie smacks him on the head, and Metalhead joins in as the trio does the robot. I laugh, clapping my hands at their antics.

Raph scratches the record and Leo winks at me, taking the floor and shuffling into place. "Go Leo. Go Leo," Mikey cheers as Leo jumps away, all of us cheering for him. He grins at me and I'm confused before he takes my hand, spinning me around.

"Leo!" I laugh as he holds my waist, both of us jumping around and spinning. I don't dance usually, but as long as I have fun, who cares? After all...

WE SAVED THE FLIPPING WORLD!

* * *

Leo's pacing around in the living room and I shake my head. The rest of us are watching him, done with the party, but the relief and happiness can still be felt by everyone. "Leo, calm down. I'm sure she won't freak out," Raph waves it off.

"But what if she does, Raph?" Leo frowns at me. "This is serious."

"Oh come on. Telling Ms. Smith that you're dating your daughter isn't the end of the world...I think," Donnie murmurs that last part to himself. Yes, we're finally going to tell my mother...that I'm dating. Will she freak out? Most likely. Will she force me to break things off with Leo?

I sincerely don't wanna think about that.

And I can tell that he's worried about that too as he keeps glancing at me. "Well, we'll be there to help calm her down if things get too far," April looks at me and I bite my lip.

"Well...I've never really actually...dated anyone before..." I murmur quietly, playing with my hair. Knowing my mother, she can get pretty protective. I feel so bad that I'm an only child...

"Obviously I haven't either," Leo sighs slowly. "How is she gonna take it when she finds out that her daughter is dating...well, me?"

"Leo," I walk up to him, hands on his shoulder. "I wouldn't be dating you if I didn't like you. You're great...and if she doesn't see that, then that's her problem."

He smiles a little in relief, pecking my lips. "Thank you, Ames."

"Maybe we should've gotten a pizza..." Mikey says, making the two of us roll our eyes. My mom appears from the hallway where the rooms are.

"Amy, I'm almost done p-" She comes to a stop as she sees everyone gathered around. "Oh. I didn't realize you were all here."

"Umm...Mom..." I start off slowly. "Leo and I have...something to tell you."

"Tell me what?" She asks curiously, raising an eyebrow. Leo and I glance at each other.

"Well...your daughter and I...we're, um..."

"We're...going out..." I finish slowly as Leo holds my hand. Mom blinks twice, mouth dropped open. I cringe at Leo nervously. I have no idea whether or not she's happy or angry.

"This...this is..." We wait for her anger. "Fantastic!" She hugs the both of us and we look at each other in surprise. "Oh, my daughter is finally dating! Oh, this is so wonderful!"

"Wait...so you don't care that they're going out?" Donnie asks slowly as he looks hopeful for him and April.

"No! Leo's such a gentleman and I trust him. You and him saved my daughter and I," She smiles at the turtles. "I think I can return the favor by letting him date my little girl."

"See? We told you," April pats Leo's shoulder as the turtle's mouth is wide open. She and her father smile before they walk off.

"Oh thank you!" Leo cries out in relief, hugging me and I giggle as he kisses my cheek slowly.

"Now, come on. I'm almost done packing," Mom waves me forward. We freeze as we stare at her. Oh wow, um...I wasn't expecting that so quickly. I haven't even thought about this ever since she was talking about it when she was...mind-controlled. I look up at Leo before I look at her.

"Mom...uh...could you maybe extend that favor?"

"...For?" She crosses her arms, raising an eyebrow.

"Um...well..." Donnie starts off, glancing at his brothers.

"We want Amy to stay with us!" Mikey exclaims quickly and my mother stumbles back a little.

"Stay?"

"She's, uh...very formidable in fighting...and, uh...well...she's like a sister to us in the time we've known her..." Raph stammers and I stare at him in surprise. I never thought I'd hear him say anything like that in my life.

"A-And she's been so nice to us, and...well, we just wanna return the favor," Donnie rubs his neck.

"Please?" Leo hugs me slightly as they look at her. Her eyes are closed. "We'll make sure she's happy, safe, and you can visit whenever you wish to see her. We just...don't wanna say goodbye to her. Seeing her every few days...wouldn't be enough because...she means a lot to all of us."

I'm blushing madly at their words, hugging Leo's arm. Mom sighs slowly and opens her eyes as the turtles are even giving puppy eyes. She looks at me straight in the eye before she looks at Splinter.

"Amelia is welcome to stay if she wishes."

She looks back at me. "Do you want to stay?" I nod slowly, waiting in anticipating "...You do your studies online," We all beam slowly. "And you call me once a day for a report."

"Thanks Mom..." I whisper happily as the turtles cheer, Splinter smiling.

"April, she's gonna stay!" Donnie shouts as he runs off and I giggle.

"Snow day, snow day, snow day!" Mikey whispers slowly, Raph pushing him away.

"We're glad you'll be here...just don't bug me and we'll get along nicely."

I roll my eyes at him and Leo's smiling. "This...is the greatest day ever."

Yeah...it is, isn't it? The Kraang are gone...we saved the world...and I get to stay with the turtles. What more could I ask for?

* * *

Looking up at the dark ceiling, I sigh to myself as I remember how Leo was willing to sacrifice himself...right then and there...I could've protected him like we promised, but I didn't...so what does that make me? A terrible person? I don't even know if he's mad at me for that...

I hear someone tapping against my door and I glance to see Leo holding the last of my boxes. He smiles softly as he holds it up. "Hey. Your mom gave me the last box." He puts it down and I say nothing. He places his hands on his hips, taking a look around my room. "Heh. Looks great."

"Yeah..." I murmur and he notices my tone, turning around to me.

"Ames?" He asks in concern, sitting next to me. "What's wrong?"

"...Back there...you wanted to give yourself up...to save everyone," I grip my sheet as I'm looking at my knees. The vivid memories of me not wanting to get into the pod are still plaguing my mind... "I-I promised that I would protect you..." Tears sting my eyes. "And I wasn't able to...I could've lost you..."

"Hey," He says gently, hugging me. "Ames, I wanted to do it...don't blame yourself for my choices. Please," He sighs a little as I'm crying.

"But you were gonna leave me!" I sniffle and he rubs my back in circles to soothe me. "I broke my promise..."

"Hana, you didn't," He cups my face, making me look into his soft eyes. "I'm the leader. I have to protect my team, you know that...and also you." He kisses my forehead softly as I'm trying to hold in my tears. "I'm sorry to make you feel this way...and now you're crying because of me."

"No!" I tell him sharply and his eyes widen. "You didn't make me cry...I'm crying because I'm just glad you're okay..."

He smiles softly. "Come here." He pulls me closer, wrapping his arms around me. My head is nestled into his plastron, allowing me to be embraced by his warm touch. "It's okay. I could never be angry at you...you're too sweet to be mad at."

"Really?" I sniffle into his plastron, not bothering to look up. I don't think it would've mattered if I did, anyway...

"Really really...to be mad for not letting you protect me...wouldn't be right. Besides...no matter what, we had to save the world..." He whispers to me as he's patting my hair now. I hum at his gentle fingers.

"I know...just remember that I won't let you live it down if you do that again," I look up at him with a playful smirk. "I won't cosplay as Celestial anymore."

His eyes widen in horror. "Ames...please don't go that far."

"Relax," I laugh as I lean up and peck his lips slowly. "Just...don't scare me like that, okay?"

"I won't. I'll stay right by your side," He promises, kissing me softly.

Thank goodness that it's all over...because now Leo and I can get closer...and I can still hang out with my friends. The Kraang are gone...Splinter took down Shredder...and I have Leo back. I just want life to be like this...where I can be happy.


End file.
